The Ball of the Butterfly
by LordBucketHead
Summary: Set before the events of Bon Bon the Birthday Clown - When Queen Moon tells her daughter that she must choose a suitor to arrange a near-future marriage with, Marco must pretend to be Star's boyfriend in order for her to escape such a huge decision at such a young age. But at what point do fake feelings become real when they must attend a ball on Mewni together? STARCO
1. Chapter 1: Mewni Law

**Chapter 1: Mewni Law**

Star slouched on the floor of her room, legs crossed and head in her hand, absentmindedly chewing on her recently " _broken"_ wand. _It can still shoot a narwhal at a charging monster,_ Star always thought. _Why does Glossaryck keep calling it broken?_

Everyone had been hounding on at her, like what was she supposed to do? Let Marco get squished? No object is worth the life of a living, breathing person, _especially_ not her best friend's life. Even if her wand is the most powerful thing in the-

" _Star Butterfly are you even listening to me?"_

Star jolted upright in surprise. In her current state of lackluster boredom mixed with the ongoing morality discussion in her head, she had almost forgotten what she was doing. Looking up to face the mirror on her wall, she saw the looming, intimidating figure of her mother gazing down at her, looking tired and completely unimpressed. Star hastily removed her wand from her mouth and returned Queen Moon's gaze.

"Pfft … yeah mom, of course I'm listening!" said Star, giving her mom a cheeky grin. "Hanging on every word."

Moon just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, the disbelief etched all across her stern face. "Then do tell me this one thing, Star. _Whats was I talking about?"_

 _Well that is anyone's guess,_ thought Star as she racked her short term memory for the answer. _Was it about my wand again? I mean, maybe, but I honestly have no idea what more she could say about it. Hmm, my training maybe? Seems more likely, let's roll with that._

"Mom you have nothing to worry about." Star said nervously, tapping her forehead with her index finger, "All that book knowledge is up here. I'm really starting to get all this magic stuff down, even Glossaryck said-"

"While the prospect of you burning down entire kingdoms on a less frequent basis does _thrill_ me," Moon interrupted, the thick layer of sarcasm and impatience evident in her tone, "That is _not_ what I was telling you about."

Before Star could ramble up another excuse, Moon just continued on. "You may not be aware, but in a few days time, we are holding the annual Ball of the Butterfly."

In all honesty, Star had no idea that there was a ball in a few days, or what this ball even entailed, but she instinctively groaned with annoyance. "Another stupid ball where I have to act all prim and proper so all the nobles can _ooh_ and _ahh_ at me? Sounds great."

Moon sighed. She knew that Star would never be like her, and while she loved her daughter unconditionally, she still had to understand that some things are expected of her. "We all have to do things we don't want to sometimes, Star. It is called life."

Star just nodded, still sulking at the thought of having to go to this stupid dance thing. Moon noticed this and chose her following words carefully, knowing Star would _really_ not like what she heard next.

"Anyway," the Queen continued, "This is a very special ball. Princes and princesses from all across the multiverse will be attending, and it just so happens that Mewni has been chosen to host this year's ball. Now that you're 14, you are eligible to participate in the … in the mingling."

Star just stared at her mother, a confused look spread across her face. "What does that mean?"

Moon took a deep breath. "Well, basically, the princes and princesses from all different dimensions chat and get to know one another, and when the ball ends … the princess picks a suitor."

If Star was drinking anything right now, she would have spat it out all over her mirror. " _WHAT?!"_

Moon tried to calm Star down, to no avail. "A _suitor_? At _fourteen years old_?! Mom, are you crazy? I can't even decide what I want for _breakfast_ most days, and now I have to pick out the guy I'm going to marry? What the heck?!"

Her mother once again sighed. "Listen Star. I know this is a big ask of you, but the future of Mewni depends on you finding the future king, as to secure your hold on the kingdom _and_ to make a lasting alliance with another dimension."

Star was at a loss for words. She could not believe this was happening. She didn't want pick some snobby, persnickety prince to marry. She wasn't even sure what she _wanted_ in a husband, let alone a king. "And I have to do this? There is nothing I can do to get out of this?"

"Mewni law states that you _must_ pick a suitor when you become of age, which is now." Moon states, then briefly pauses. "...Well, unless…"

That was all Star needed. She jumped up and moved closer to the mirror, a glimmer of hope sparkling in her deep blue eyes. "Unless? _Unless?!"_

"Well," Moon began, scratching her wrist, "The law _does_ state that if a princess is in a preexisting relationship at the time of the ball, then she is exempt from choosing a suitor, as not to alienate the princesses' … significant other."

Star smiled to herself, overjoyed that there was a loophole to get her out of this stupid tradition. "Oh no, what a shame mom!" said Star, feigning shock and upset, "It just so happens that I actually _am_ in a relationship at the moment!"

" _Really?_ " Moon enquired skeptically, eyeing her daughter with disbelief and apprehension. Star eagerly nodded, unable to hold in her smirk.

"Yep," she lied, "And my dear sweet _boyfriend_ would be so offended if I had to pick out some stranger the marry. I just couldn't put my sweetheart through that."

The Queen still wasn't convinced, "So who is this … boyfriend of yours?"

Star froze, not expecting a follow up question. "Just … erm … just an earth boy! Yeah, that's it! Just a nice boy I met on earth. He's a great guy, you would really like him. And dad too."

"Oh I'm sure," said Moon, apprehensive of her daughter's story. "Well then, I suppose you won't have to pick a suitor this year then, Star-"

"Oh well!" exclaimed Star, already ready to end the conversation, "Maybe next year, huh? Was great speaking to you mom, we definitely have to do this again some-"

"I'm not finished," the Queen said sternly, causing Star to shut her mouth, "While you don't have to pick a suitor, your presence at the ball is still required, with Mewni hosting the ball this year."

"Oh," was all that Star could say. _At least I have dodged one bullet,_ she thought. _It could have been a lot worse than-_

"And you'll be bringing this earth boyfriend with you."

The words took a moment to process through Star's brain. "I … I have to bring my … my boyfriend?"

"Indeed," said Moon, smiling. "As you said, your father and I would approve of the boy, but I'm sure we would love to judge that for ourselves. And we wouldn't want all the other princes thinking that the Butterfly family have lied and cheated them out of a right to woo you, now, would we?"

Star couldn't even formulate an answer, so Moon continued, "Unless, of course, you _don't_ have a boyfriend, and you're able to pick a prince to arrange a marriage with?"

At this, Star's mind sprung back into action. "No no! Of course, mom, we will be there!" she said through gritted teeth.

Moon smiled, "Lovely, Star. I shall see you and your boyfriend in a few days. I look forward to it." And with that, the mirror chat ended and her mother's image disappeared.

Star slumped down into her previous slouching position on the floor, deep in thought. _Where the heck am I gonna find a brand new boyfriend on a few days notice?_

Star pondered the options. _There is always Tom, but no doubt he'll be going to ball anyway. Ugh, have that to look forward to. Even so, he would just twist the situation to his advantage, and I really don't want to spend an evening pretending to be his … urgh, girlfriend._

 _Who else? Oskar maybe?_ Just the thought of the keytar playing bad boy made Star sigh in longing. _An evening with him would be magical, but … I have barely spoken three words to the guy. I doubt he'll just drop everything to come to some strange ball with me. Plus, I need to wait for the right moment to ask him out._

Star grumpily moved over to her bed and let herself fall down onto the mattress, putting a pillow over her head and screaming into it. " _Why is this so hard?"_

So all she needed was a boy, someone her age, someone who she knows would do this for her, someone who she trusts, someone who she would be able to spend an evening with, someone who-

"Star?" came a voice from her door. Star sat up and looked over at the entrance to her room. There stood her best friend Marco Diaz wearing his signature red hoodie and sporting a look of concern. "I heard your muffled scream, Star. Is everything okay?"

At that moment, a thought occurred to Star. Almost on autopilot, she stood up and walked up to Marco, observing every inch of him. Marco just looked at her in confusion, "Uh, Star-"

" _Shh!"_ hissed Star as she continued to inspect Marco. _A boy my age, someone who would willingly go to a ball with me. Someone I trust and someone who I wouldn't mind spending an evening with..._

A small blush appeared on Star's face, unnoticed by Marco, who was still squirming uncomfortably.

"Oh," was all that Star could say, turning away from Marco to hide her slightly red face. Marco just stared at her, oblivious to the entire situation.

There was a small silence, in which Star's mind was going a mile a minute. Finally, Marco broke the silence and said exactly what Star needed to hear in order to confirm her decision.

"Star … I don't exactly know what's going on here, but … is there anything I can do to help?"


	2. Chapter 2: The Favour

Chapter 2: The Favour

History was always one of Marco's favourite subjects at school. He loved learning about great men and women and their great deeds that shaped society and the way we now see things. He couldn't get enough of reading up on people such as Sir Francis Drake, T. E. Lawrence, Marco Polo (who, he liked to imagine, his parents had named him after). So it was no surprise to anyone that Marco viewed history homework as more of a hobby than a chore. Whenever he got home from school and got ready to do his homework, history would always come first. It really put him in a bright mood and made it easier to get all the rest of it done.

And that is what he was doing right this moment, preparing an essay on Drake while sipping his refreshing carton of white grape juice. While the rest of the Diaz household watched TV or played a game, Marco Diaz found solace in the comforting research of historical knowledge. That is, until, a muffled scream from down the hall caused Marco to drop his juice carton in panic and spill the contents of it all over his homework. He sighed, knowing exactly who emitted that noise. _Brought back to reality by a magical princess from another dimension. Oh the irony._

He wasn't particularly bothered about his homework. He didn't mind redoing it all. On the contrary, he rather looked forward to it. As for the scream, Marco wasn't worried too much about that either, as he knew his magical roommate often overreacted to the norms of the earth dimension which were still completely foreign to her. _Still_ , thought Marco, getting up and walking to his door, _had better go and check on her. Make sure she hasn't turned her bed into a dragon or something._

Marco peeked through Star's door and saw the princess laying down on her bed, covering her face with a pillow. He had a quick scan around the room. _No dragon? That's a good start._

"Star?" said the boy, walking into Star's room. He must have surprised the princess, as she bolted upright and stared at him. "I heard your muffled scream. Is everything okay?"

He left out the semantics regarding Francis Drake being drowned in a torrent of white grape juice. _No point in making her feel guilty_ , Marco thought, _besides, she probably won't have the slightest clue what I'm talking about. If only she would listen in history class, maybe she would - wait, what?_

Marco had been in such a world of his own that he had almost not noticed the fact that Star was slowly walking towards him, her eyes scanning over him as if he were some strange, unseen wonder. Marco scrunched his nose, unable to comprehend what was going on and why Star was doing this. _Has one of her spells backfired again or something? This is weirder than usual._

The boy decided to inquire, "Uh, Star-"

He was interrupted immediately with a harsh "Shh!" from the girl, as she continued to inspect him. Marco just stood there, even more confused. _What is she concentrating on? Have I done something? Is there spinach in my teeth or-_

Marco's thoughts were interrupted by Star's brief "Oh." He looked at the princess to find she had turned away and was walking away from him slightly. Now Marco was concerned. _Is she in trouble?_ he thought. He rarely saw Star internally think this much without some sort of sudden outburst.

 _Third time's the charm_ , he thought, as he engaged Star yet again, hoping to calm her or at least make her feel better. "Star … I don't exactly know what's going on here, but … is there anything I can do to help?"

Star whipped right back around to face Marco, her eyes half lidded and a grin etched across her face. "Oh _heyyy_ Marco," she said playfully, playing with her long golden hair. "Sorry about that, my head was a bit in the clouds!" She giggled. A very un-Star like giggle.

Marco really didn't know what to think now. He was just getting more and more confused. _Why the heck is she behaving like this now?_ He began to speak, "S-Star, what is g-going on?" _Why am I stuttering? What?_

Star moved closer to Marco, and he instinctively began to slowly back up. She reminded him of an animal about to pounce on its prey. He really did not understand this situation.

"Nottthhhin much," she winked, making Marco wince a bit. Then, out of nowhere, "Have you been working out?"

Marco was not expecting that. "Well, I, uh … I have been d-doing a little more karate r-recently, I mean…"

He trailed off, still slowly backing away from an approaching Star. "Oh, you can _totally_ tell!" Star grinned, as she leaned out and felt Marco's arm with her soft, warm hands. " _Wow_!"

That was more than Marco could take. "OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH!" he shouted, snatching his arm out of Star's grasp. Now it was her turn to look confused. Marco took a deep breath, looked Star in the eyes and said sternly, "Star, just _what_ has gotten into you? Why are you acting all .. all …"

He couldn't think of an end to that sentence. It didn't matter much, as Star just sighed and trudged over to her bed, the facade dropped. "I'm sorry Marco, I was trying to be … alluring."

Star expected him to freak out, but Marco continued to stand there, a little more composed than a few seconds prior but still as puzzled as ever. _Jeez, he really is oblivious,_ Star thought, chuckling to herself lightly. _He probably didn't even get that I was flirting with him. So cute._

"Okay Marco, I need to tell you about the current … predicament that I'm in." She sat down on her bed and patted the space beside her, signalling the boy to come and sit next to her. Marco walked over warily, happy that his best friend was no longer acting all … strange, but still apprehensive of what was going on.

"Alright, out with it," said Marco as he sat beside the girl, "What is this predicament?"

 _Where to begin?_ Star thought, exhausted. She just hoped this whole thing wouldn't freak Marco out and send him running. "Well, the short story is that my mom is making me attend a ball on Mewni in which I have to, by law, choose a suitor to arrange to marry in a few years."

Immediately Marco's eyes widened. " _What_?! They surely can't expect you to do that at such a young age? That's _ridiculous_!" He rubbed his temple with his thumb and index finger, trying to grasp the ludicracy of this odd rule.

Star sighed and smiled, "Yep, that's what I said." She kicked her legs absentmindedly, unsure of how to continue. _Am I really going to ask Marco to do this? What if he says no? What if it makes things weird?_

Marco looked up from his lap to Star, trying to catch her eye, which she was avoiding at all costs. "So what's the plan? I mean, we both know that no one in any dimension can make you of all people do something as crazy as this. How are we handling this?"

Star smiled to herself, warmed by the fact that Marco's first instinct was to help her out of this unattractive situation. She looked up, although not directly in his eyes. "Well I'm glad that's your frame of mind, because…"

Star trailed off, unable to formulate the rest of what she was going to say. Marco just continued to stare at her, eager to hear what action-packed adventure they were getting themselves into this time. "Because?"

 _Deep breaths, Star, deep breaths._ "The thing is, my mom said that the law states that I _don't_ have to pick someone to marry if I … if there is already someone I'm with."

Marco nodded, dissecting what she said in his head. "What, like in a relationship with?"

Star nodded slowly, wondering if Marco had caught on yet. Marco just continued to sport his thinking face, staring into nothing for what felt like an eternity. _Oh my gosh, please just say something, anything-_

"But Star," Marco began slowly, causing Star's head to shoot up and face him, "You're not _in_ a relationship?"

Star couldn't contain a small laugh escaping. _Someone tell me again, how is this guy the smartest kid in school?_

"Wait a second," said Marco, the cogs in his brain starting to function, "You can't mean…?"

Star sat on her bed in silence, awaiting Marco's response, twiddling her thumbs. She braced herself for the answer.

Suddenly, Marco shot up from her bed and stood up, looking down at Star with contempt. "Oh no, _no way_ , Star! Are you _crazy_? That is a _terrible_ idea!"

Star was expecting rejection, sure. Heck, she even understood why Marco would be so opposed to it. It is an awkward thing to ask of someone, especially of such a close friend. But what she didn't expect was for Marco's rejection to sting so much. His words seemed to cut deep, much to Star's surprise and upset. She sat there, stiff as a board, unable to look up at Marco. _Why did that upset me like that? It's not like I wasn't expecting it. Was it the words he used? Or was it-_

"I mean _seriously_ , Star!" Marco continued, now pacing around her room, "Getting back together with Tom is _not_ the way to go about this!"

Star's mind stopped. She slowly looked up at him, the confusion evident on her face. "What?"

" _Come_ _on_ Star!" Marco went on, rubbing his hands through his soft, brown hair. "You know what he is like! I know this situation is bad, but _nothing_ warrants getting back together with that hot-headed, egotistical little-"

Star had had enough, unable to contain her frustration. She stood up abruptly and spoke, causing Marco to recoil a bit. "No, you idiot! I'm talking about _you_!"

Marco blinked. Once. Twice. "How would me getting together with Tom solve anything?"

 _Seriously_? Star groaned and grabbed Marco's face, looking directly into his eyes, her annoyance at his obliviousness overtaking her nervous awkwardness. "Not you and Tom, Marco! _You and me_!"

It took Marco a few seconds to register what Star was saying. _She wants to get together with … with me?_ A deep shade of crimson settled on his face, and Star realised the implications of what she had said.

"No! Urgh … what I mean is …" Star began, as he released Marco's beet red face and walked back over to her bed, plopping herself down. "What I mean is … if you and I … I don't know, _pretended_ to be a couple, just for this ball thing, then … then I wouldn't have to pick some weirdo prince to marry. Not right now, at least."

Star resorted back to looking at the floor, at anything that wasn't Marco. It was her turn to blush, the realisation of what she was actually asking Marco to do dawning on her. "Look, I know it was a stupid idea. It doesn't matter, we'll think of something else. Can we just please forget I ever-"

"Okay."

Star stopped talking, unable to process what she had just heard. _Did I just hear … okay? No, it can't have been. It sounded like Marco's voice, sure, but I must be hearing things._ Hesitantly, she looked up at Marco for what felt like the first time in years, to see his face was a little less red and with a confident sort of look on it.

"What?" she managed to whisper. Marco just continued to look at her, and raised an eyebrow.

"I said okay?" he repeated, causing Star's eyes to widen. Marco sighed, and sat down yet again beside his best friend. "I mean, it's only for one night, right? And besides, you gave up your _wand_ for me. If I can't do this little thing for you, what sort of a best friend would I be?" He looked up at her, straight into Star's eyes, and gave her a heartwarming smile. "Of course I'll do this for you, Star."

Star's heartbeat quickened at this small gesture, at what she presumed must have been the shock of him agreeing to go along with this. Star smiled back at Marco, it genuinely warming her heart that he was willing to put himself through this for her. _Marco Diaz, you are one of a kind,_ Star thought happily.

Before Marco could say another word, he found himself being tackled into a bone-shattering hug. "Thank you so so _so_ much, Marco! You're the best bestie a girl could ask for! _Hugs_!"

The boy laughed, returning the hug, finding the princess' warmth very comforting. "Anything for you, Star."

The pair stayed like that for a while, until they released each other, warm smiles still spread across their faces. Suddenly, Marco shot up from the bed, a playful look in his eye.

"Well, we had better make it official, then!" He grinned at a confused Star, and he got down on one knee and took Star's hand in both his own. Looking up at her, he said smoothly, "Princess Star Butterfly, would you do me the honour of being my fake girlfriend?"

Star was taken aback this, and could feel her face slightly warm up at Marco's charming gesture. But she soon returned the grin. "You're such a dork." she teased, "but yes. of course Marco. It would be my pleasure."


	3. Chapter 3: Layers

Chapter 3: Layers

Echo Creek Academy was always a hub of buzz and excitement, which could be seen as ironic, considering it was a school. Most of the teenagers that spent their days there, wasting away from boredom in cramped classrooms while listening to equally bored teachers waffle on about uninteresting topics, were inherently miserable. However, the social aspect of going to school and hanging out with friends for small portions of the day was always appealing to the students, as they could band together in their shared misery and contempt for the place.

The most revered time for this sort of social interaction was, of course, lunchtime. There was nothing more refreshing than to give a small break to these fed up students and allow them to grab a bite to eat in order to refuel their systems, along with giving them all a chance to catch up with each other on all the recent gossip. And even though the food at Echo Creek Academy was … average, at best, this didn't stop the eager students from capitalising on the opportunity to have a nice friendly chat with their friends and peers.

One student in particular, who was at this very moment walking over to a table with a tray of food in her hands, was the one and only Star Butterfly. While she overall enjoyed the whole earth experience, school was without a doubt her least favourite aspect of it. She just didn't see much point in having to learn all about how things work on earth when her future was set in stone, as the mysterious Mr Candle put it. _Seriously, I've never met a queen who failed at ruling because of her lack of knowledge of algebra._

However, what Star did love about school was the fact that she got to spend some time with her much loved earth friends, besides Marco of course. As she sat down at the table in the cafeteria, ready to munch down on some well needed grub, two of her aforementioned earth friends made themselves comfortable opposite her.

There was of course, one of Star's closest friends, the mischievous Janna. The girl sat down and immediately started prodding her food with her fork, a look of apprehension on her face.

"I swear, if I get detention for putting paint bombs in people's lockers, the cooks should get detention for putting whatever this is on my plate." said Janna, sticking out her tongue.

Star giggled. Like her, Janna also had a sense of rebellion and adventure, which was probably why the two got on so well. The girl could, as well, always bring a grin to Star's face, and ever since their shared experience of a particularly exciting detention together, the two had been close friends.

"Dude, you _do_ realise there is only so much of your hijinks that Skeeves will take," said the girl next to Janna, and although there was a subtle warning in her voice, she couldn't contain a cool smile, clearly amused by said hijinks.

Jackie Lynn Thomas was another one of Star's friends. She was the cool, sharp skater chick that just about everyone thought was cool. No matter what the situation, she always managed to stay composed and chilled out, which Star admired, as she herself was prone to lose herself a bit in times of stress.

"Well," Janna began, letting the oddly coloured food slide greasily off of her fork, "I'm not the _only_ one up to a few hijinks recently," She pointed the fork at Star, "Am I, princess?"

Jackie looked at Star in confusion, and she sighed. She knew exactly what Janna was talking about, as she had mentioned to her earlier about the whole … Marco situation. And like most things that Star did, she immediately regretted it afterwards. She had received none stop teasing from Janna all day, and while Star could normally just laugh it off, something about this whole joke was making her flustered and moody.

"So what's up, Star?" Jackie asked, shooting a grin over to Star. The princess shifted uncomfortably and looked down. She didn't feel comfortable with talking about this whole thing with Jackie, knowing that Marco had the _biggest_ crush on her. _I dunno, I just don't want Jackie to get the wrong idea and spoil Marco's chances with her_ , Star thought.

Before Star could come up with a way to explain the situation as best as possible, Janna seized that role for herself. "Looks like Star and a _certain boy_ of the Latino persuasion are going on a hot date," the beanie wearing girl smirked, causing Star to look up in horror and Jackie to raise her eyebrows.

" _No no no no NO_!" Star whisper-screamed, eyes darting around to make sure no one had heard that. Janna just snorted with laughter, while Jackie sat back in her chair with a smug look on her face.

"Well it is about time."

The colour drained from Star's face. _What did she mean by that? About time for what?_ The princess composed herself, and got ready to explain the full story to Jackie.

"We are _not_ going on a date, like Janna said." Star shot Janna a glare, who just shrugged and carried on picking through her food. "Okay Jackie, so basically…"

Star retold the story of her predicament, about how Marco had to pretend to be her boyfriend for this dumb ball so that she didn't have to pick out a prince to sign a binding marriage contact with. Jackie listened intently, while Janna, who had heard the story previously, resorted to flinging globs on food across the cafeteria with a mundane expression on her face.

When she finished, Star took a deep breath and looked at Jackie. "So, ya know, it's all just pretend. Marco's doing me a favour, is all. We are definitely _not_ actually together and he is still 100% single."

Once again, Jackie looked confused. "Why is that important?"

 _Shoot_ , Star mentally punched herself, _c'mon Star, don't mess things up more for Marco._ "I mean, I was just clarifying the fact that this whole 'pretend couple' deal is definitely pretend." Star smiled nervously, and Jackie just nodded, seeming to accept this excuse.

Janna, who had for a while now remained quiet, decided to join the fray once more. "Are you _suuuure_ Star? I mean, once you see Marco all suited and booted, you sure you won't fall off your feet and faint?"

Jackie chuckled as Janna acted out swooning and fainting, putting her hand to her forehead and falling into Jackie's arms. Star, meanwhile, just sat there blushing and huffed in annoyance. _Marco … in a suit? Pfft, I've seen him in a suit before! No big deal, right?_

Thinking back, Star did remember the suit Marco had worn to the Blood Moon Ball. While he had looked … _enchanting_ , to say the least, it was really the whole mystery of the stranger who has whisked her off her feet that had had Star swooning. At least, that's what she assumed. _Makes the most sense, right?_

While the other two girls were laughing their heads off, Star decided to put a stop to this once and for all. She stood up, put both her hands on the table and leaned in towards her two friends. "Guys! I've said this a _gajillion_ times already! Marco and I are only doing this to save my skin, so can we _please_ just drop it!"

At this point a few people on surrounding tables had looked round to see what this random outburst was all about, unnoticed by Star, who was still hovering over Janna and Jackie. Star's two friends studied the girl, seeing how flustered and irritated the girl had gotten. They decided to drop it.

"Sure, no problem Star," said Janna nonchalantly, and Jackie nodded. Star took a deep breath and just sat back down, "Super! Now, let me tell you gals what happened in Miss Skullnick's class this morning.."

As Star rambled on, she didn't notice the sly, knowing smiles exchanged between Janna and Jackie. Whatever they thought they would keep to themselves, as they turned around to face Star again and listened to her story.

* * *

Meanwhile, across the cafeteria, little did those three girls know that three boys were having a much similar conversation.

Marco sat at the table, his lunch forgotten, as he was in a very _exhausted_ mood. Across from him sat his two friends, Ferguson and Alfonso, who seemed to be complete polar opposites to each other in appearance, and yet shared the same childish sense of humour. _Explains why they're so attached at the hip_ , thought Marco, before his train of thought was lost as Ferguson continued on with what he had been saying.

"Gotta be honest dude, never thought you would agree to something like this." Ferguson managed to say between mouthfuls, "I mean, what about your thing for Jackie?"

Marco sighed. _How many times do I have to explain this to them?_ "Ferg, it's not a _real_ relationship! Star just needs me to pretend to be her boyfriend, this doesn't affect Jackie in the slightest."

Alfonso squinted, taking off his glasses and rubbing them on his shirt. "I dunno, Marco. People may get the _wrong_ idea about all this. Heck, they get the wrong idea already."

This caught Marco's attention. "What is that supposed to mean?"

The bespectacled boy just chuckled, " _Come on_ , Marco? Half the school already thinks you're a couple now! Who knows what they're gonna think after they get wind of this."

Marco, who had returned to his food and was in the middle of a spoonful, choked on his grub. " _What_?!"

Alfonsos looked to Ferguson for confirmation, and the large ginger boy nodded in agreement. "Yeah man. I can see why they would think that as well."

Marco had no idea how anyone could possibly think that of him and Star, and gestured for Ferg to continue, a disbelieving look on his face.

"Oh boy, where to begin?" smirked Ferguson, to which Alfonso chuckled. "First off, you two live in the _same house_ together. You are _literally_ with her more than you're not! Even Alfonso and I don't see each other that much!"

Alfonso nodded, making Marco just blink. "Yeah, but-"

"Secondly," Ferguson interrupted, taking a swig of his drink. "You guys do _everything_ together. You go on adventures to other dimensions, you do things around town together, anything one of you does, the other will always be involved. Heck, I saw a few people do a double take at you just _moments_ ago when they saw that you weren't sat with Star. People are just used to seeing you together!"

At this, Marco scrunched his nose and looked away, "Erm.."

"And finally," Ferguson concluded, a smug grin now etched across his face, "You two are basically siamese twins, the way you are always _latched_ onto each other hugging!"

Marco's face went a deep red colour as Alfonso snickered. He scratched his head absentmindedly, lost in his thoughts. _Are me and Star really that much like a couple? I mean sure, we hug a lot, but we're best friends! That's normal for best friends … right?_

Ferguson and Alfonso continued to discuss the odd friendship of Star and Marco, while the Latino boy in question was still racking those thoughts around his head. _I've never really thought of Star as anything more than a friend. I don't think I have, anyway. I mean, she is great … maybe we do act like more of a couple than I thought…? Oh gosh, I really hope this whole arrangement with her for this ball doesn't make things weird and awkward..._

While Marco was still processing his thoughts and feelings, Alfonso and Ferguson's conversation continued.

"I just dunno many people who would do something like this for their best friend," began Ferguson, chewing through his words, "Unless there was something more there."

"To be fair," stated Alfonso, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "We all know that, to Star, he is very dutiful. Right Marco?"

Marco, still deep in thought, barely looked up at the two as he replied, "Of _course_ I think Star is very beautiful! Who doesn't?"

Ferguson dropped his fork and stared at Marco, Alfonso having a similar reaction. They shared a look of confusion, and then turned back to Marco, who seemingly had not realised the misunderstanding nor what he had just said.

"Doesn't prove anything," mumbled Marco. _Right, I need to stop thinking to deeply about all of this. I'm just Star's best friend helping her out of a predicament. It is as simple as that. No layers to this, none whatsoever._

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he looked up and just saw his two friends staring at him, mouths slightly agape. "What?" he asked, puzzled at their expressions.

"You just-" began Alfonso, until he received a sharp nudge from Ferguson.

"We were just in shock at how you guys can have such a _unique_ friendship!" Ferguson grinned, as Alfonso nursed his side sourly. "Right, Al?"

Ferg gave Alfonso a 'let-him-get-there-on-his-own' kind of look, and being the close friends that they are, Alfonso understood almost immediately and nodded to Marco.

"Yeah man. Unique." he said, smiling.

Marco thought on this, and smiled back. "Yeah, I guess it is unique. Thanks guys." _Listen to me, worrying about all this stuff with Star. These guys are right! Our friendship is amazing, and I wouldn't trade it for the world._

And with that, Marco dug back into his food, thinking about how thankful he was for such a 'unique' friendship with Star.


	4. Chapter 4: Close Ties

_**Thank you to everyone for all the support! For anyone wondering, this actually is the first story I have written, so all comments and criticisms are valid and welcome! Don't plan to make this an extremely long story, as I've read some that hooked me in the first few chapters and then the story just sort of fizzles out as it continues with no real direction, so I obviously don't want that to happen. Will try and keep updates as frequent as possible, as I really enjoy writing this. Let me know what you all think! Thanks again and enjoy! :)**_

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Close Ties**

If the reasonable and ordinary person were to inquire about the definite number of dimensions that existed, then they would be asking for quite some time. The plain truth is that there is no definite number, and if there is, well, no one has managed to count them all in their lifetime. And people have tried.

So much exists in these planes of reality that one cannot avoid ignorance. Wherever you are, wherever you have been, there is always somewhere else to go. A myriad of tropical beaches, blistering deserts, freezing mountains, underwater kingdoms and sky civilisations are that the tip of one's fingertips. If one is holding a pair of dimensional scissors in said fingertips, of course. There are so many dimensions that people focus on going to and exploring, that they neglect the dimensions that they should be _avoiding_. And there is one that stands out above all in this regard.

A place so blazing hot that fire itself melts and one's sweat evaporates before it can even form. A place where dancing flames rule the skies and running lava rules the lands. A place inhabited by the dead, by devils, by monsters and creatures of the night. But most importantly, a place inhabited by one hot-headed, egotistical, Love Sentence-loving demon boy.

Deep in the depths of the Underworld stood said boy, staring at his three-eyed reflection in the mirror, trying desperately and failing to fix his tie. After several botched attempts, the demon boy snarled and ripped the tie clean off of his neck, hurling it towards the wall of his room. It burnt to a crisp before it had even hit the floor.

" _What is even the point?"_ growled Tom, to no one in particular. He stared at himself in the mirror, judging his appearance with the lack of the tie. He was sporting a blood red blazer with pants to match and a jet black buttoned shirt. He undid the top few buttons of his shirt, and once again looked himself up and down.

"Maybe she will like it better without a tie," pondered Tom, turning in different directions to gauge a better opinion of this new style. "I know she has always liked the bad boy sort of look. This says cool. Casual. Breezy."

Not as soon as the last syllable had left the demon's lips, one of the buttons of his shirt became loose and fell to the ground, also evaporating in a puff of steam. Tom blinked with all three eyes, and once they opened again, all that filled them was an epitome of red.

A thunderous roar escaped Tom's agape mouth, sharp fangs protruding from all angles. He clenched his fists, fireballs fabricating where his hands used to be. A jet of flame shot out of the demon's feet, causing him to slowly hover further upwards. The whole room shook violently, cracks in the rock walls materialising and rubble falling from the ceiling.

"Cool, casual and breezy, huh?"

As quick as a flash, Tom whipped his neck round to the source of the voice. There at his doorway stood another reminder of Tom's failure, Mr Candle. He was leaning against the wall, a mug of coffee in his grasp and an eyebrow raised. "Need to talk about-?"

Unfortunately, Mr Candle's question went unfinished, as a bolt of scarlet fire shot right above his head. Instinctively, the high school counsellor ducked, prolonging his existence for just a little longer. He dropped his mug which plummeted to the floor and smashed. The shards, of course, burst into flame.

After the flame had passed, Mr Candle felt a tingling sensation on the back of his head. A quick brush over with the palm of his hand revealed that his ponytail has been burnt clean off. "Aw man," he exclaimed, looked at the fragments of burnt hair clinging to his hand, "It took me _months_ to grow that!"

Tom, who was still in a state of pure fury, pointed his index finger at the man, who recoiled in fear. Instead of more fire emitting from the demon's fingertips, words were emitted from his mouth.

" _ **You are worthless,"**_ growled Tom, the room continuing to shake. " _ **Bring. Me. Brian."**_

Without a second thought, Mr Candle sprinted like a lunatic out of the room, and returned not a minute later with the aforementioned Brian.

Brian was a short, portly man who wore glasses and, in all honestly, didn't look like he could guide a salmon down a stream, let alone effectively calm down a raging demon. But as soon as Brian saw the boy and what he was doing, he waddle-rushed over, and bravely put both his hands on Tom's shoulder, and guided him back down to the ground.

"Walk it out, talk it out. Walk it out, talk it out." repeated Brian as he led Tom in circles, who himself was mumbling under his breath. After a few moments, the fireballs that had engulfed his fists started to die out, the room ceased shaking and once again became stationary, and Mr Candle slowly stopped trembling from fright.

Tom himself blinked a few times, his eyes returning back to normal. He took a deep breath and stopped walking, shaking free of Brian's grip. "Thank you, Brian." he said curtly, before walking back to the mirror, the irritation he was feeling clearly still somewhat present.

Brian eyed the boy. He had learnt to choose his words carefully while being employed under Tom's services, as he did have a tendency to … overreact in certain circumstances. "Tell me what happened, Tom." he said calmly, warmth evident in his voice.

Mr Candle's eyes darted between Brian and Tom, clearly still anxious of another outburst. All three of Tom's eyes twitched as he stared grumpily at himself in the mirror. Then he sighed in defeat, and turned to face Brian.

"I just don't know what to _do_!" he groaned, "The Ball of the Butterfly is tonight, only an hour away! Starship will be there, and I just don't know what to say to her."

Brian nodded, so Tom continued, moving over to sit on the edge of his bed. "All I want is to get her back! But everything that I can think of just backfires on me! It's just an impossible task, The whole Blood Moon Ball thing was spoilt by …" Tom paused, the taste of pure venom present on his tongue, "... _Marco…"_

Tom allowed himself to wallow in his loathing for the boy for a moment. _If that cocky little punk hadn't have stuck his nose where it didn't belong, it would have been smooth sailing. But oh no! He just had to butt in, right when I had Star where I wanted her. That dance was meant for ME!_

Tom snarled at this last thought, but managed to keep himself composed. He continued on with his recount of his recent relationship with Star Butterfly.

"And then I hired - wait, what's your first name?" inquired Tom, looking over at Mr Candle. The counsellor, who had been busy studying his watch at that moment, looked up at the demon.

"You know, it isn't actually _legally_ required on the contract I signed that I have to reveal that information," Mr Candle sighed, rubbing his nose with his wrist.

" _Whatever!"_ groaned Tom in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's not like I _want_ to relive these memories anyway." He bent his head forwards and placed it in his hands.

" _I just want Star_."

Brian, who had been listening intently, walked over and placed a comforting hand on Tom's shoulder. "Listen, Tom. From what I've seen and heard, she obviously isn't interested in you anymore. She isn't attracted to the person you are. If you want even a chance at getting her back, _you need to change!_ "

Tom didn't respond, his head still in his hands, so Brian continued, "If the princess can see what you are capable becoming, and you show her that you are willing to try and better yourself, then at least you can say you did everything you could to try and get her back!"

Brian released his hand from Tom's shoulder, hoping his words had gotten through to him. Mr Candle nodded, seeming to agree with the advice. Slowly Tom's head began to rise, as he processed what Brian had just said.

 _Better myself?_ The demon thought on this, rubbing his chin with his finger. _Better myself…_

Suddenly, the demon shot up onto his feet, causing Mr Candle to scream and trip over in an attempt to run. But Tom didn't even notice, as he smiled at Brian's idea.

"So what you're saying is," began Tom, pacing around the room, not even looking at Brian, "I need to heighten and accentuate my personality! Of course, why didn't I think of that? Remind her of why she fell for me in the first place!"

Brian frowned in a worried expression, and raised his index finger. "Actually, that is the exact opposite of what I-"

"Brain you're a genius!" yelled the demon, picking up the short man with ease and shaking him up and down. "So simple, yet so brilliant!"

Tom ceased shaking Brian and dropped him on the floor, the dizziness evident in his dazed expression. The demon rushed over to his nightstand and picked up his pair of dimensional scissors. He looked down at himself, no tie and a button missing. _Pfft, I'll be fine,_ Tom smirked to himself as he dragged the scissors down in the air, causing a portal to materialise. _I have a plan._

* * *

"Star, can you give me a hand with this?" called Marco from his room, struggling to tie his tie in the correct fashion.

If he was going to be honest, the tie he had worn to the Blood Moon Ball was a clip-on. At the time he had been in a hurry to get to the Underworld before something unsavoury happened. There were never many occasions that presented themselves that required Marco to dress so formally, so it was no surprise that his tie skills were somewhat lacking.

"In a _miiiinute_!" came the sing-song voice of Star, Marco's ' _date'_ , in a sense. At this, Marco sighed and wandered over to his mirror, allowing his blue tie to fall loose around his neck. He studied himself, and thought he looked presentable. He wore a grey suit and black pants, all buttoned up, nice and neat.

 _Why am I still so nervous for this?_ thought Marco as he took a comb out of his pocket and started brushing his hair. _Well, there is the fact that I'm going to have to call upon every dramatical skill in my very being in order to pull this off._

The boy thought on that. While he was obviously no Mackie Hand when it came to acting, he thought he was decent enough to get by. But Queen Moon was no fool, and Marco feared she would see right through it. And everyone knew how attentive King River was when it came to his precious pumpkin.

 _Oh boy, and then there is him. Star's dad will no doubt be on me from the first, hammering me with questions and basically interrogating me._ While Marco and River got on well, the fact that he was now Star's ' _boyfriend'_ would no doubt sour that relationship, at least at first. _The guy is scarily protective over Star._

Before Marco could continue thinking of things that could go wrong, he heard a voice from behind him. "So … what do you think?"

Marco turned around and choked a little on the air he was breathing. In front of him stood Star Butterfly, and yet this was not the Star Butterfly he was used to. Her long, golden hair was fashioned in a similar way to how it was for the Blood Moon Ball. Her dress, however, was quite different. She wore a sleek, sequined navy blue dress that glimmered slightly in the light of his room. Marco rarely saw Star dress this formally, and the pace of his heart quickened suddenly, which he put down to increased nerves after seeing the source of his distress.

Marco shook his head and blinked, then looked at the princess once more. "You look … amazing…"

Star giggled. _Is that all he can say?_ she wondered, but blushed a little bit all the same. "Thanks Marco. You don't look half bad yourself."

And it was true, he did look good. Better than good. _He can really pull off a suit,_ thought Star, grinning. _Jackie is gonna be swooning when she sees him like that one day._

The thought left an odd, unidentified feeling in the pit of Star's stomach, and she wasn't sure why. She put it down to hunger. _Hopefully the grub is good at this ball, cos I am starving!_

Marco flashed her a smile. "Thanks Star. Now c'mon, help me with this tie."

Star complied, and walked over to Marco. It just so happened that her father had the same issues with ties as Marco, so her mom had taught her from a young age how to work a tie in case she wasn't around or too busy to "assist a grown man dress himself", as she put it.

Star stepped close to Marco and clasped the tie with her hands, running it through them. She looked up at Marco's collar and began to tie it. She briefly looked up at Marco, and then froze.

 _I am really really close to him right now._

Their faces were mere inches away, and Star felt hers start to heat up slightly. She felt her grip on the tie loosen as she stared into Marco's eyes. _Were his eyes always that … brown?_

To say Marco had a similar feeling of anxiety was an understatement. His face was beginning to heat up at their sheer proximity. He could literally feel Star's breath on his face. _Her warm breath…_

They stayed like that for a while, until Marco thought he should probably intervene, before things got … _weird_.

"Um, S-Star?"

Marco's voice snapped Star back to reality, as her eyes slightly widened. She stepped back slightly, her grasp still on the tie. _Oh my gosh, what was I just doing?! He's going to think I'm a total weirdo!_

"Don't worry Star." said Marco, who had composed himself a bit and was sporting a warm smile. Star looked up at him in puzzlement, so Marco continued. "I'm nervous too. This whole thing could go wrong at any moment."

Star blinked, and slowly nodded. "Yeah haha … nerves." She looked at Marco's collar again, and began to tie his tie for the second attempt. _What was that? Ugh, nevermind. I have bigger fish to fry tonight. There is enough weirdness in the air for one evening._

She quickly composed herself. "Don't worry Marco, we will be fine." Star said, grinning. "All we have to do is make an appearance, say our hellos, make a little idle chit-chat, have a dance and we'll be finished in no time." Star stepped back from Marco. "There ya go! All done."

Marco winced a bit at the mention of ' _a dance'_ , but decided to push it to the back of his mind. _We shall cross that bridge when we come to it._ "Thanks Star."

"No problem, bestie!" said Star, lightly punching Marco on the arm, causing him to laugh. "Well, we better be going! The Ball of the Butterfly awaits!"

The princess yanked out her pair of dimensional scissors. She went to rip open a portal in the air, but paused at the last minute. Looking down thoughtfully, she turned to Marco.

"Marco," she said earnestly, and Marco looked over at her, eyebrows raised. "Just … thanks again. For doing this for me. I know it's a big ask, and it means a lot that you're helping me out. Truly."

The boy blinked for a second before his signature warm smile returned to his face. He extended his arm and gently rubbed Star's bare shoulder. "Don't mention it, Star. It's the least I can do."

The pair smiled briefly at each other, before Star brandished the scissors and created a portal to Mewni for them. Marco extended his arm to Star, to which she graciously accepted, the pair blushing timidly all the while. The two best friends nodded to one another, and stepped into the portal, neither having a single clue what the night before them would hold.


	5. Chapter 5: The Crystal Butterfly

**Chapter 5: The Crystal Butterfly**

Castle Butterfly stood higher than any earth skyscraper, the top of it shrouded by a gaggle of clouds. It towered over the rest of Mewni, exuding a powerful and intimidating presence to any who walk in it's ginormous shadow. The castle always had a bright, cheery appearance, due to it's ostentatious colour scheme and it's fairytale-like appearance. Tonight was no different.

In fact, if anything, the castle gave off an even _more_ lively feeling on this particular evening. Glistening bright lights shone in every direction, as if almost bringing the inanimate castle to life. Colours of ruby, violet, teal and persian pink froliced and shimmered across the landscape, their intensity only matched by the idyllic light of a silver crescent moon that hung elegantly in the dark skies above.

All of this light made visible the abundance of people surrounding Castle Butterfly, all dressed head-to-toe in fancy garments, no doubt to catch the eye of any passing princes or princesses. They all congregated outside the fine oak doors of the castle, impatiently awaiting entry to an event that would affect them for the rest of their lives. The castle guards were stationed outside of these doors, a scroll of parchment in hand, checking off names as the eager young nobles hurried into the building. A nightmarish job for such a night, as the work was never truly done. The guests just kept on coming, seeming neverendless. And judging by the guards' pained expressions, they were very aware of this.

"Just _what_ is taking so long?" huffed Star, crossing her arms and pouting. She had been stood in the queue for what felt like an eternity, and the princess did not handle boredom well. "I shouldn't have to wait so long to get into _my own home_! Ridiculous, right Marco?"

Marco, who was stood next to her, still had hold of Star's arm in his. In all honesty, he hadn't been listening to a word Star just said. Looking up at the magnificence of the castle at this close distance was indescribable. Marco could really appreciate the finer pageantries and the overall elegance of the decoration of the castle. The lights, the atmosphere, everything. _It's all so breathtaking,_ the boy thought, eyes still glued open at the wonder before him.

Star was used to seeing her castle, having grown up and lived there for most of her life, so was understandably less impressed with the finer details of the decoration. While she did think it all looked, in her own words, "super pretty!", she was more focused on the actual events this evening would bring, rather than the aesthetics. And right now, she was rather annoyed that Marco was paying more attention to some old castle than to her.

 _He has barely looked at me since we got here,_ Star grumbled mentally. That fact irked her for some reason. _I suppose if we're going to pull this off, we need to bring our A game tonight. And we can't do that if Marco is too busy gawking at some chandelier to pull off a convincing performance._

Star snapped her fingers in front of Marco's eyes, making the boy flinch. "Focus, Marco!" she said sternly, "We are gonna need to keep it together tonight. If people are gonna believe that you are my boyfriend, then you need to play the part."

Marco looked at her nervously. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just afraid of messing up."

Star sighed. _Marco really needs to feel more confident with himself,_ she thought. _It's not like he has any reason to be so insecure. I just don't get it!_

Star tightened her grip on Marco ever so gently, in a sort of reassuring way. "Relax, Safe Kid." she grinned, causing Marco to groan in annoyance at this pet name. "You will do a great job! I know you will. If you're gonna remember anything all night, remember this: _make it convincing."_

"Convincing, huh?" Marco pondered this. _Star is right, just make it convincing and it will all go off without a hitch._ The pair moved up in the queue slowly, getting ever closer to the entrance. _Thinking about it, it shouldn't be too hard. Like Ferg and Al said, we practically act like a couple already … sometimes. Just add a bit of that old Diaz charm, and you're set._

Marco smiled to himself, and Star was happy to see him looking more confident. Finally, after spending half the night waiting to get into the castle, the pair make it to the front of the queue. The guard taking the list didn't even look up at them, a sullen expression etched across his face.

"Name?" he asked lazily, obviously tired of asking the same line of inquiry for the umpteenth time.

"Star Butterfly!" the girl chanted in her sing-song voice, which made Marco chuckle. She then patted Marco's arm. "And guest, of course!"

The guard's head immediately flicked upwards at the sound of her name, "Princess Star?! Oh my goodness, why didn't you say it was you! We would have let you in through the VIP entrance!"

Star's eyes twitched as they followed the man's pointing finger over to a much smaller door with a practically nonexistent queue. The princess' bright and cheery smile was soon replaced by a scowl of pure irritation.

" _You mean that was an option the whole time?!_ " the girl yelled, causing the guard to recoil a bit. Marco could see Star was getting worked up, and instinctively grabbed her hand.

"Please excuse my girlfriend!" Marco chuckled nervously, his hand gripping Star's, softly but firmly. "It has been a _long_ day."

Marco's action of grasping Star's hand has effectively silenced the princess. She looked down at her hand and saw her fingers carefully intertwined with Marco's. Star could feel a new, warm feeling spreading through her palm and up her arm. _This is … different,_ she thought slowly, _but good different. This actually feels … nice? Is that the word to describe it?_

All too quickly, the warmth left Star's hand abruptly. Star frowned, and looked at Marco in confusion. "Why'd ya stop?" she asked innocently.

Marco turned to look at her, clearly confused, and raised an eyebrow. "Star? He let us in already? There's nobody else around."

And sure enough, he was right. Without realising it, Star had walked with Marco through the entrance to the castle, and they were now both walking down an empty hallway en route to the ballroom.

Star blushed furiously. "Oh yeah, of course! Ha ha, sorry, my head's totally loopy tonight." _Get it together, Star! Don't let this … this … this awkward weirdness get in the way of tonight! Get your game face on, girl!_

Marco flashed her a grin. "No worries, Star. Don't you worry, we have got this in the bag." The boy had felt a sudden surge of courage after Star's advice not moments ago. _Convincing._

Star smiled and nodded, and the pair slowly made their way to the entrance of the ballroom. The door was guarded by a tall, lanky man, who bowed immediately when he saw Star.

"Princess Butterfly," he said regally, in a posh sort of tone. "And, er, Prince…?"

Marco blushed a little at being addressed as a prince. "Just … erm, just Marco, thanks."

The man eyed Marco pretentiously before giving a sigh and starting over. "Princess Butterfly and … Marco," he said, almost rudely, as he carefully opened the door in front of them. "Welcome, to the Ball of the Butterfly."

* * *

If the outside of the castle was impressive, then the ballroom itself was a sight to behold. The walls were decorated with wreaths, banners, an array of tinsel, and so much more as far as the eye could see. There were tables set out in various places, each one covered with white silk cloths and harbouring a variety of delicious looking foods. The dance floor was occupied by an abundance of princes and princesses, dancing to the slow, melodic music that echoed through the huge room. But the real masterpiece was above the dance floor, dangling from the ever high ceiling.

Star and Marco gazed at the magnificent butterfly-shaped crystal chandelier that stood out more than any other feature of the room. The lights in the room bounced off of it, giving it an angelic, almost peaceful appearance. It was truly a sight to behold, purely awe inspiring.

" _Woah_ " the pair said simultaneously, before quickly glancing at each other and stifling a giggle. Every since the last ball they attended, they were prone to saying the exact same thing at the exact same time. Neither thought much of it, but Star did often think that it was kind of cute.

The two friends were so mesmerized by the giant crystal butterfly, that they didn't notice a certain tall figure approach them. " _Ahem_." came a sharp, female voice.

Star and Marco both looked down, and saw standing before them Queen Moon Butterfly. She was dressed in her usual fashion, a long, frilly blue dress. _Well, I suppose she always dresses formally,_ Marco thought.

"Hey mom!" smiled Star, to which the Queen reciprocated, although it seemed somewhat forced. Then her eyes shifted to Marco, who suppressed a nervous gulp.

"Uh, good evening, Your Majesty." Marco offered an awkward sort of bow, to which the Queen winced a bit.

"Good evening, the pair of you." she said, then turning her attention to her daughter. "Star, dear. You never told me that this earth boyfriend of yours was _Marco…_ "

Star grinned nervously, nodding and grabbing Marco's arm, to which he lightly blushed. "Oh whoops! Did I leave that part out? Silly me!" She giggled, not to Moon's amusement. She scanned the pair skeptically.

"So, you two are an item now. Is that what I've been brought to understand?" Moon raised her eyebrows.

Marco remained silent. _Probably petrified with fear,_ thought Star glumly. _I knew this was a bad idea._

"Pfft, yeah! Of course we are, mom. Me and Marco have been … dating for a while now! We just couldn't wait to tell you!"

"And yet it seems you _did_ , in fact, wait to tell me." the Queen said sternly, causing Star to lose her cheery expression. "Here are the facts as I see them." Moon began pacing in front of Star and Marco, looming above them ominously.

"When I tell you, Star, that the law required you to pick a suitor to arrange a marriage with, your immediate response is the one loophole in law." Moon glanced at her daughter, whose eyes were looking anywhere but at her mother's. The Queen continued, "Then it just so happens that your 'boyfriend' is the same boy you've been living with for the better part of a year. A boy who, I have seen, you are good friends with, and was probably the closest boy in the vicinity at the time of our talk a few days ago."

Moon gave Marco a glare, who just looked down at his shoes. "Tell me, Star. What am I supposed to make of this?"

Star opened her mouth, and yet no noise came out. She was at a loss for words. _She figured it out,_ Star thought in shock and disbelief, _how the heck did she figure it all out? The ball has barely started, and already our cover is blown! So much for this great plan…_

The princess failed to meet her mother's eyes, slowly accepting that her carefully crafted plan had ultimately failed. She was all but ready to give up at this point. _What more can I do now?_ Star took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and prepared to hear the intense scolding from her mother. But it never came. In fact, what happened next Star wouldn't have expected to happen in a million years.

Marco turned around to face Star, and kissed her on the cheek.

Queen Moon did not strike anyone who met her to be someone who was shocked easily. And yet at this small gesture, her eyes widened slightly as she raised an eyebrow. This sort of reaction was similar to her daughter's, except Star's was about a thousand times worse.

Whatever red had been tinting Star's cheeks leading up to this point paled in comparison to what was happening now. Star's face had turned an intense scarlet, so bright that it almost reflected off of the butterfly chandelier. The girl's great big blue eyes were wide open, and her mouth was hanging slightly agape. Even the hearts displayed on her cheeks started to glow just the faintest bit, which did not go unnoticed by Moon.

Star was in a world of her own. _Did he just…?_ Slowly, she turned round to face Marco, who was actually not looking at Star, but facing Moon. He had a determined, confident glint in his eye. His expression bold and impassive, something Star rarely saw from Marco. This was something that she liked.

Marco, who was combatting a blush of his own due to his sudden actions, spoke in a strong and confident manner. "Your Majesty, I understand your skepticism. Truly I do. But I must tell you, from the bottom of my heart, that I care very deeply about your daughter."

The boy turned to Star and flashed her a smile. _That charming smile,_ she thought, still not having come to terms with what had just transpired.

Marco continued, "I know that we live together, and yes, we are friends. But during that time, I have become _very_ close with Star, and have come to truly care for her. She is brave, strong, kind, caring. She is a beautiful person, inside _and_ out. And nothing makes me happier than just being by her side, wherever we decide to go. As long as she is there, the destination doesn't matter. I only sit back and enjoy the journey."

Marco concluded, a deal redder than when he had started. Star just stared at the boy, deeply moved by his words. _Wow, she thought, putting a hand to her heart, that was … beautiful. He must really think a lot of me…_

Moon thought on Marco's words, and studied the scene in front of her. She saw the boy standing confidently, looking at her daughter with pride and admiration. Then there was Star, of course, who was as red as an apple and just looking at Marco. A look Moon knew all too well.

The Queen smiled. _These two are clearly smitten. It is painfully obvious._ "Well, it appears I was wrong. My apologies, you two."

Marco nodded and smiled, while Star, who was now starting to come back to earth (or, in this case, Mewni), slowly nodded as well, her head still swimming with thoughts.

"Well, I shall not keep you waiting!" Moon smiled at the two, turning to leave the two lovebirds alone, "Your father will come and say hello shortly, Star. Until then, enjoy the ball!"

As she left, Marco exhaled and wiped the sweat from his forehead. _Far too close…_

Star continued looking at Marco, her eyes full of wonder. She tightened her grip on the boy, getting his attention. She managed to build up a voice to speak, "Wow, Marco, that was…"

"Convincing, right?" the boy smiled a playful grin, to which Star's awe-struck expression slightly faltered. "You were right, Star! I managed that, no problem." He chuckled, "I really thought we had lost her there at first, but _bam!_ In I came to save the day! That was good, huh?"

Star blinked a couple times. Then she mentally slapped herself, remembering all at once where they were and what they were doing. _Of course it was an act, Star, you idiot! You literally told him to do that!_ Star shook her head, trying to gain focus and shake off a nasty feeling that she couldn't quite place. Marco's response to her had not been what she was expecting. _But still, why did it feel so … icky?_ _Seriously, what is wrong with me? Why did I get all weird about that?_

The mission was a success so far. They had managed to fool her mother, which was arguably the most difficult task of the evening. Everything was going smoothly, and everything was fine. _So why doesn't it feel fine?_

"Uh, Star?"

Star blinked and looked at Marco's puzzled expression, realising that she had been silent for a few moments. The princess took a deep breath and managed to pull herself together, returning to her usual, bubbly composure. "Yep," she smiled, to which Marco returned, "Good job, Marco! _Very_ convincing."

And as Marco led Star through the crowds of people and into the deeper depths of the ballroom, Star couldn't help but think one thing. _Maybe too convincing..._


	6. Chapter 6: Food for Thought

**Chapter 6: Food for Thought**

The culinary dishes served by the greatest cooks in Mewni were, to put it plainly, not diverse. While they look somewhat appetising, there is a fundamental lack of variety, for one reason or another. On earth, the choices were endless, from hotdogs and burgers to fish eggs and frog legs. Mewni, meanwhile, seemed to base most of their dishes off of the exciting food known as corn.

Marco nibbled on his corncake, letting the flavours settle on his tongue. Being a chef himself, he always appreciated the delicate complexities of a well crafted meal, but also valued the simplicity of some dishes, such as his world renowned nachos. However, this was not the case here.

 _I mean, I like corn, I guess,_ thought Marco, eyeing the slice in his porcelain plate, _but I just wouldn't include it in every single type of food available. Where are those death-predicting calzones Star talked about when you need them?_

The boy's stomach growled in response, just the thought of something other than corn causing him to salivate. The cake wasn't _unbearable_ , but it just was not Marco's style. But ultimately, Marco's stomach prevailed over his tastebuds. _Hey, better than those sugar burritos Star devours,_ he thought, shuddering, as he took another bite out of his corncake.

Star, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of all her home dimension's delicious treats. She stood beside Marco, leaning rather informally on one of the tables, gnawing at her corn burger. The girl had been brought up on corn, eating the stuff for three meals a day for fourteen years of her life. But it was more than that. The sweet, succulent taste just sent a wave of pure nostalgia coursing through Star's entire body, causing her to reminisce all about her childhood. The princess sighed in satisfaction. _I love living on earth,_ she thought, _it's a pretty great place! But sometimes I am reminded of how much I do miss Mewni. Me and Marco really do need to visit more often._

The alluring aroma of corn wafted through the air, all round the ballroom and into the noses of certain princes and princesses. A few of the latter came over in a small pack to inspect the food and give it a try. They all wore such beautiful, elegant and convoluted dresses, it made Star feel a bit insecure by comparison.

 _They're all so gorgeous,_ the girl thought. The other girls seemed to be enjoying their cornpops as they chatted idly to one another, sporting smiles all the while. That is, until, one of them tapped another and pointed to something, whispering all the while. Star's line of sight followed the finger until it landed on … _Marco?_

Marco hadn't seemed to notice, as he was rather preoccupied with dissecting the contents of his corncake. Star blinked, and turned back to look at the group of girls, who were now _all_ looking at Marco, giggling girlishly all the while.

Star frowned, a feeling of irritation overwhelming her. _Why are they all laughing like that? It is so … annoying._ The princess felt a sudden urge to just leave this table and go elsewhere, and grabbed Marco's arm. The boy flinched in shock and dropped his corncake.

Star glared over at the girls, who, having seen her grasp ahold of Marco, were now groaning and frowning, giving Star the stink eye. They turned around and skulked off to another part of the ballroom, while Star smirked to herself. _That got rid of them._

"Marco," Star said sweetly, causing the boy to feel a bit hot. "Let's go for a wander through the crowd, see if there is anything else to do here."

The boy grinned at her, "Sure thing, Star." And with that, the pair sifted through the crowd, barely managing to squeeze through the abundance of bodies.

* * *

From across the ballroom, a certain three-eyed demon was watching the pair intently, rage building up inside him.

 _I knew it! I knew they weren't just friends!_ Tom thought angrily, squeezing the corn soda he was holding, causing the cup to burst and the contents to dribble to the floor. _I can't believe she is here with … him. How the heck am I gonna get her back with that clown following her about all night?_

Instinctively, Tom began to march over to where the couple were in order to confront them in a fit of fury, but he suddenly stopped himself. Looking down at the floor, at where his corn soda was spilt, he started to think.

 _Getting angry only ever seems to make things worse,_ he thought, his eyes drifting back to Star and Marco. _Thinking about it, my plans to get Starship back always fail because I lose control of my temper._

The demon took a deep breath and stood his ground. _If I want things to work out this time, I need to keep a cool head. I can't just go barging in to break them up. I need to be smart about it._

Tom slowly walked back over to the table he had been standing at, and picked up another corn soda. Sipping it carefully, he was surprised to find that he rather enjoyed the taste. The demon boy thought on this. _When I manage to keep a lid on my anger … things will work out._

He smirked to himself and he continued to drink the soda. _I will survey the surroundings, watch Star and Marco, and wait for the opportune moment to strike. If I'm smart and calculated about this, Starship will finally be mine._

* * *

Meanwhile, Star and Marco were still squeezing past various princes and princesses. It was an irritating quest, due to sheer amount of people at the ball. _There sure are a lot of people here,_ thought Marco, scanning the crowds of people. _I sure hope I don't-_

" _Oof!"_ exclaimed Marco, falling out of Star's grasp and onto the floor. He looked up, rather dazed, and saw that he had bumped into a rather short but broad fellow, who looked all fuzzy, much thanks to his clumsiness. A blurry hand was offered to Marco, which he graciously took.

"Sorry about that. Thank you, uh-"

" _Daddy_!" Star squealed next to him.

Marco's face went pale. _Daddy?_ he thought, as he witnessed Star jump up into none other than King River's arms, giving him an enormous bear hug.

The King chuckled, "Hello, pumpkin! Your mother told me I would find you around here somewhere. It's so good to see you!"

"You too, dad." Star grinned, releasing River from the hug. She then turned to Marco, who was looking pretty mortified. In Star's excitement to see her father again, she didn't notice this.

"Daddy, you know Marco, right?" she grabbed Marco's arm and pulled him closer, the boy's shoes dragging along the floor. _She is so much stronger than she looks,_ Marco thought weakly.

Star looked between the two men in her life nervously. While Marco was just a bit taller than the King, it didn't make him any less intimidating. His happy smile immediately dropped at the sight of Marco, a look of pure contempt replacing it.

"Oh yes, your mother told me all about this." said River, eyeing the boy up and down, the scowl on his face impenetrable. "Hello again, Marco."

The boy gulped, the confidence from talking to Moon having evaporated into thin air. _At least with her, I didn't fear for my actual life._

"H-hello, Your M-Majesty," Marco stuttered, causing Star to wince and the King to raise an eyebrow. He continued staring Marco down for a few more moments, before turning back around to face Star, a warm smile again present.

"Star, dear, do you mind if I borrow your … _boyfriend_ for just a second, please? I just want to have a little chat with him."

If any colour had remained on Marco's face, it was surely gone now. The boy looked at Star desperately, mentally pleading with her to make up some excuse. _C'mon Star, if ever there was a time to cast a mind-reading spell, it would be now!_

Before Star could even answer, the booming voice of the King was heard yet again. "Spectacular!" he declared, while grabbing hold of a wide-eyed Marco's arm. "We won't be too long, I promise. See you later, pumpkin!"

Marco silently yelped for help as River dragged him through the crowd of people and out of Star's line of vision. "Bye guys … I guess." she mumbled feebly. Looking around, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself now. That is until she heard an excited, familiar voice echo through the ballroom.

"Yo B-Fly! Tell me that you are _not_ at this ball with Earth Turd?!"

* * *

King River plopped Marco down in front of him, having dragged the boy to a more secluded corner of the ballroom. Marco whimpered, looking up at the King's stern gaze.

"Y-Your Majesty," the boy began, sweat starting the gush from him like Old Youthful, "If y-you would j-just let me ex-explain-"

"Oh, I don't think there is any need, Marco." River said darkly, closing in on the boy and trapping him the corner. Marco started to cower slightly, and closed his eyes, ready for whatever barbarian beating he was about to receive.

When said beating was unleashed upon Marco, he was surprised. _Huh, this actually isn't that bad. I thought I would be in far more pain._ Bravely opening one eye, he saw the truth in front of him. He was not, in fact, receiving a beating. Instead, the King had picked Marco up and was giving him a massive bear hug.

 _Wait, what?_

Marco could not process what was happening, and he heard River give a loud, hearty laugh. "Marco, my boy, I knew you had it in you!"

As River gently let the boy down, Marco stared at him in utter confusion. "So you're … you're not going to beat me to a pulp?"

River blinked, then gave off another booming chuckle. "Beat you to a _pulp_? That would hardly be reasonable towards my future _son-in-law_." He gave the boy a cheeky wink.

Marco blushed at hearing that. _Me? And Star? Married?_ For a split second, he pictured him and Star sharing a little cottage together somewhere, laser-puppies running about causing mayhem and the sound of the tiny pitter-patter of … _kids?_

Marco shook his head, trying to remain firmly in reality. "So does that mean that you're cool with me and Star?" he asked the King warily.

River gave the boy a big toothy grin, "Of course I am, Marco, my boy! I'm just glad you finally asked her out! I could tell from a mile away you two were sweet on each other."

Marco smiled externally, but internally he sighed in annoyance. _Seriously? Just how many people think that me and Star like each other?_

"Anyway," King River continued, patting Marco on the back, causing him to almost fall over, "I just brought you over here to say that I am over the moon for you and Star! Moon told me that she saw how happy you two looked together, and if you can brighten my pumpkin's day, well then, you are good in my book!"

The Latino boy was genuinely touched by the King's warm words. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

River scoffed, "No need for formalities, my boy! River will do just fine!" He grinned yet again.

The King's smile was infectious, as before he knew it, Marco was returning it with full force. "Okay, thank you River. It means a lot. To me and to Star."

King River nodded and chuckled, before grabbing hold of Marco yet again. "Come along, Marco, my boy, I want to hear all about your fluffy little relationship from you and Star! Let us go see where she went off to!"

And with that, Marco was, for what felt like the tenth time, being dragged across the ballroom to find Star, all the while thinking that this fake relationship didn't feel so entirely fake anymore.

* * *

" _Flying Princess Pony Head_!" Star squealed, grabbing hold of her friend and hugging her tightly, as best one can hug a floating head. "What the heck are you doing here?!"

Star released Pony Head, who just hovered beside her and flashed a cocky grin. "Girl, you did _not_ forget that I was a princess too, right? I'm here to check out the _talent_."

Pony Head purred at a group of passing princes, who scurried away quickly, looking terrified. Star chuckled at her antics.

The two princesses laughed for a while, before Pony Head gave her a suspicious eye, "And don't you try and change the subject, B-Fly! I saw you and Marco together, are you guys finally a thing now?"

Star looked around, making sure the coast was clear, before slinging an arm around Pony Head and whispering to her, "We're only _pretending_ to be a couple, Pony. Marco's doing me this favour so that I don't have to sign any stinking marriage contact."

Pony Head scoffed, making Star perplexed. "What?"

The floating head looked at her best bestie with a disbelieving look, "You really expect me to believe that, B-Fly? The way you two act around each other?"

Star groaned, "Not you too! Just about everyone seems convinced that me and Marco have a thing for each other!"

Pony Head just laughed, "Because you do, girl! It's so obvious, even you guys don't realise it!"

That made Star pause. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, clearly confused.

"Girl, you gotta think about it like this," Pony Head floated around to Star's other side and brushed her golden hair with her horn. "Now, I aint into _psychology_ or any of that nerd stuff that Earth Turd seems to love, but haven't you thought that maybe, on some subconscious level, you _really do_ want Marco to be your boyfriend?"

Star still looked puzzled, not following what her bestie was saying. Pony Head just sighed, and continued, "It's like this, B-Fly. Usually there are subtle signs that a girl can show when she is falling hard for a guy, but she is totally oblivious to them until she actually sits down and thinks everything through. Once a girl looks deep inside herself, she can sometimes realise that there are feelings there that she didn't even realise existed!" Pony Head raised her eyebrows and grinned, "Trust me, girl. I've watched enough daytime soap operas to know what I'm talking about."

Pony's words seemed to echo through Star's mind, almost as if she was hearing them from a mile away. _Look inside myself?_ she thought, shifting her gaze back to the mesmerising butterfly chandelier. Star then squeezed her eyes shut and tried her hardest to think about the past few days and what had gone down.

 _I've spent a lot of that time with Marco, for obvious reasons. He's been such a great help recently, I really do owe him for it. Heck, the most time we have spent apart recently was only for about an hour during that one lunch period when I sat with Jackie and Janna, and even then I missed him like crazy._ Star's eyes shot open. _Wait … what?_

 _We were only apart for an hour,_ the girl thought slowly, _I can't have missed him that much, right?_ But as Star continued to reminisce, she could distinctly remember a sort of empty feeling she had felt during that period, as if something inside her was longing, reaching out. _And when I met back up with Marco for class …_ Star pictured her best friend's warm, suave smile. _It went away…_

Now that Star properly thought it through, there had been some particularly weird stuff going on between her and Marco for the past few days. Star thought back to when he had got down on one knee and asked her to be his fake girlfriend, about when she had been tying his tie and the pair had been extremely close, about how she had felt just an hour ago when he had kissed her cheek…

 _Is Pony Head right?_ Star thought, in a state of pure shock, not knowing how to feel about this. _Do I actually … like Marco?_

Star looked down at her feet, not used to feeling this uncertain. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the more rational side of her brain kicked in, telling her exactly what she wanted to hear. _Am I really listening to Pony Head about relationships right now? The girl who has had more break-ups than birthdays?_

Star blinked a few time, and then laughed to herself outloud. _No! No way! Of course I don't like Marco in that way, I'm just grateful for how cooperative he has been recently._ The girl smiled, amused at her own crazy thoughts. _What was I thinking? Me and Marco? Pfft, as if._

The princess was so content with the conclusion she had come to in her head, that she didn't even hear Pony Head shouting her name in her ear.

"STAR!" she shouted, causing Star to jump back in apprehension. Pony looked at her, confused.

"Girl, your dad has been waving us over for like five minutes now! Come on, let's go see what's going down!"

Star was brought back to reality as Pony pushed her towards her father, who she now saw was waving madly at her and standing next to an awkward looking Marco. More interestingly, they were both surrounded by a group of party goers.

"There you are, pumpkin!" River exclaimed, as Star and Pony Head arrived at the crowd. "You're just in time! Your boyfriend was just about to tell us all about how he asked you out!"

There was a murmur of interest among the surrounding princes and princesses, who were all obviously intrigued at the details of Star Butterfly's sudden new relationship with a commoner from earth. Star smiled nervously, having never thought to prepare an answer to this minor detail should it have ever come up. She looked over at Marco for reassurance, and, to her relief, he was shining her a confident smile and gave her a little thumbs up. Star grinned in response. _Classic goofy Marco,_ she thought. _What was I thinking before?_

"Settle down, everyone!" boomed King River, and the crowd started to slowly become silent. He then looked over to Marco and flashed him a toothy grin. "Take it away, my boy!"

Marco smiled at River, before taking a deep breath and beginning to speak. "It was a warm, sunny evening during the Fall. I took Star for a stroll through one of her favourite parks. We would always walk the laser puppies there."

Star smiled, picturing in her head the angelic setting. _So far, so good, Diaz._

The boy continued, "I led to her this one bench in the park. It sits right beneath this beautiful tree, and the Fall leaves were drifting down ever so slowly on top of it. We sat down there, and I turned to her and said 'Star Butterfly, there is something I have been wanting to ask you for a while now.'"

At this point Marco looked directly into Star's eyes, causing her breath to hitch ever so slightly. A group of princesses cooed at his story, all listening intently. Least of all Star, who was hanging on every word.

"I snapped my fingers, and out of the bushes nearby came out our school orchestra. I had hired them for the evening to play Star's favourite Love Sentence song."

Star's eyes widened at this, amazed at how much thought Marco had put into this fake scenario. One of the other girls was swooning just at the telling of the story, "Oh my gosh! That is so romantic! I can't believe you-"

" _Shhh_!" Star hushed absentmindedly, not even noticing the glare that the girl gave her. She was so enticed by Marco's story, and she wanted to hear the rest.

Marco chuckled, before continuing, "Anyway, as the orchestra were playing away, I had my friend Alfonso hide up in the tree above the bench. At that moment, he sprinkled down yellow and blue confetti on us both. Star's favourite colours."

The girl in question was just staring blankly at Marco, mouth slightly agape with a twinkle in her dilated pupils. She put her hands to her chest, and felt her rapidly beating heart.

"I turned to Star, and looked her straight in those gorgeous blue eyes. I took both her hands in mine, and grasped them gently, never wanting to let go. Then I asked her," Marco turned to Star, flashing that ever charming smile of his, "'Will you be my girlfriend?'"

Yet again, a round of cooing ensued from the surrounding audience, a various assortment of 'awws' and 'ooohs'. River softly wiped a tear from his eye, and even Pony Head was grinning goofily, even though she knew it was fake. In fact, just about everyone was making some sort of affectionate noise. Everyone except Star.

Standing there, listening to that story, had effectively melted Star's brain. Her arms had fallen to her sides, almost asleep. She just gazed at this boy, this _amazing_ boy, wonder filling her eyes. She felt her cheeks start to heat up again, as they had so many times during the last few days. Even in the periphery of her vision, she spotted the subtle glowing of the hearts on her cheeks.

 _That would have been … hard to say no to,_ she thought, almost in a daze, still staring into Marco's eyes. _Those soft, brown, gentle eyes…_

And right then was when she knew. She was looking directly into Marco's soul, and he was looking back, and Star had never felt more safe, more happy, more significant than she did at that moment right then. She again moved her hands upwards and placed them over her heart. A heart that had been snatched away from her without her even realising, and by someone who she never would have expected to be the culprit.

 _I have a crush on Marco Diaz._

"What a beautiful tale, Marco." River said softly, again patting the boy on the back, although this time much more gently, which Marco greatly appreciated. Similarly, the princes and princesses listening in all began talking amongst one another about the enchanting story as they began to disperse. Once again, Marco's eyes fell on Star, and he smiled at her, the girl returning it tenfold.

"Go to her, son." whispered the King in Marco's ear, before slowly disappearing into the crowd as well. Marco walked over to the girl, who was still staring at him magnificently.

"Marco…" Star said, trying her hardest to contain her blush, "That was … amazing …"

Marco grinned at her, "I am so glad you liked it Star."

Star laughed quietly, taking Marco's hands in her own. "I did," she smiled, the giddiness overtaking her, "So much." _Too much._

Marco tightened his grasp on Star's hands, still smiling warmly at her, "Good."

Star looked deep into Marco's eyes, sighing contently. She embraced her newfound realisation of her feelings with open arms, soaking in the warmth of it all. She wanted to stay in this moment forever. Just her and Marco, no one else in the world mattered. Just her and Marco. Her Marco.

"Because that's how I've always pictured finally asking Jackie out."


	7. Chapter 7: Aftermath

**Thanks again to everyone for the ongoing support! Not long left on this story now, but I plan to write a longer, more plot-centred one soon after I have finished. Hope you enjoy, and as always, any and all reviews are welcome!**

 **Chapter 7: Aftermath**

Time slowed down. Everything stopped. The world ceased turning. Just complete nothingness, an empty void of time and space for just a fraction of a second.

Star stared up at Marco, unable to think.

His words just floated around Star's mind for just a moment, like stormy rain clouds, before they suddenly pierced her chest and violated her heart. The world around her began to fall apart as she experienced such a pain, such an _awful_ pain, that was completely alien to her.

Her breathing became short and sporadic, her stomach felt like it had shrunk, and her eyes began to ache from just being open. But it was her chest that received the most severe blow. It was like being struck by lightning directly in her heart. This was such a contrast from her overjoyed feeling just moments ago.

Star felt destroyed. She had opened up her heart in the realisation of her feelings for Marco, and in return had been squashed into nothingness. She shook just a little bit, having no clue what to do, what to think, how to react. Her brain felt fried.

 _He likes Jackie… he has always liked Jackie..._

Then, just like that, the moment was gone, and she was back in the ballroom, holding Marco's hands in hers. She saw this and her breath hitched, quickly snatching her hands away from his grasp. Marco frowned.

"Star? What's wrong?"

Star could have almost started laughing hysterically. _You ask me what is wrong? After you say THAT to me?_ She wanted to scream. She wanted to shout in his face and slap him until her hands were red raw, just so he could feel the same pain that she felt.

But she couldn't. She couldn't hurt him, not on purpose at least. If she did, she imagined it would just hurt herself more. Bravely, she managed to look up into Marco's eyes yet again.

The look of warmth and concern in those hazel eyes made her knees feel weak, which in turn just caused her to hurt even more. _Why?_ she thought bitterly, _why must you torture me like this?_

She needed to say something. This was starting to look very odd, and she didn't want to draw anymore attention to herself. Not with the current state she was in.

Star opened her mouth, but no words escaped. Instead, she felt a wet sensation on her cheeks. She moved her hands up to her face and felt. She was crying.

Marco stood there in shock and worry, confusion evident on his face. He reached out a hand to Star and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, she turned around and ran.

 _Don't let him see you cry, Star,_ she thought brokenly and she pushed her way through the crowds, much to the displeasure of the surrounding guests. She felt the full force of her tears ready to erupt at any moment, and she wanted to be nowhere near Marco when that happened.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of speeding across the ballroom, she found herself in a relatively empty corner of the room. She walked quickly up to a nearby table and almost collapsed on it, stopping herself by grasping the edge of it with her hands. She opened her eyes and stared down, into her reflection in a large punch bowl. There were still tears streaming silently down her face, bags under her eyes, her hair in a complete state. She looked like a mess.

 _No wonder Marco doesn't like you,_ she thought angrily, glaring at her reflection. _Look at you. You're just some stupid, weirdo, mess-up girl who is nothing but a hindrance on him._ Tears began to roll off her face, splashing in the punch and creating ripples. _If it wasn't for you, he wouldn't have to come to this stupid ball and pretend to be some stupid girl's boyfriend. He could be at the park, under the tree, with her…_

And with that, the tears came full force. She squinted her eyes shut and she sobbed quietly, unable to contain her inner heartbreak any longer. A rare few passing princes or princesses looked over briefly at the girl leaning over the table, straining to hear her muffled sobs, but didn't think much of it. There was often feeling of rejection and self-pity at these balls, due to their romantic nature.

The princess stayed like that for a while, just hunched over the table, refusing to let herself think. She was at an extremely formal ball, and her mother would kill her if she embarrassed the Butterfly family by bawling like a baby in front of everyone. And if she continued to think about this, about _Marco,_ then the tears would continue also.

After a while, Star straightened her posture and removed her hands from the table, her tears seeming to finally cease their escape from her eyes. She looked down into the punch bowl once more, and saw the hurt she was feeling etched all across her tired face. Suddenly, her anger flared up once again.

How was one earth boy able to make the princess of Mewni feel such agony?

 _You don't need him, Star,_ she thought bitterly, fists clenched and teeth gritted. _If he wants to waste away his days pining after Jackie, who has never shown him a second thought, then hey, that's fine by me. I'm in a room full of princes right now. I don't need you at all, Marco Diaz._

Star took a deep breath, and she finally seemed able to compose herself. Though nowhere near her previous stability, she was looking and feeling much better than she had just minutes ago. _And as long as I don't see Marco for a while, I think I can stay like this._

She couldn't even begin to think about how she left Marco, tears pouring down her face and running in the opposite direction. No doubt he would come looking for her to interrogate her all about it, and she planned to avoid that for as long as possible. _How can I answer his questions when I can barely answer my own?_

The girl pushed all fear of having to explain her actions to the back of her mind, trying to focus on her current well being more so than her future. Star flexed her hand muscles and took another large breath. _You can still have a good time here, Star. Don't let him ruin that as well._

Scanning the ballroom, Star saw no sign of Marco anywhere close, which made her sigh with relief. She gazed intensely all around her, trying to find something to occupy herself with until this _stupid_ ball was over and done with. That is, until she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. The princess whizzed round, praying that it wasn't Marco. And even though it was not, the person who it turned out to be was really not much better.

"Something troubling you, Starship?"

* * *

Marco stared in utter confusion as he watched his best friend run away from him, tears dropping to the ballroom floor all the while. He didn't know what to think, but seeing Star in such a state of sadness made his heart ache.

He wanted to run after her, to sweep her up in his arms, tell her that everything is okay. That he was here for her. But he found himself frozen, his feet locked firmly in place, as he just stared helplessly at Star's retreating figure until he could no longer see her.

 _What … what was that about?_ Marco thought helplessly, his head swimming with perplexing thoughts. _Was it something I said?_

Unfortunately, Marco's train of thought was broken by a sharp prodding feeling piercing his spine. The boy jumped up and yelped, falling to the ground in shock. The guests around him looked over curiously, staring at him on the floor in puzzlement. Marco turned around angrily to see the source of his fall, and locked eyed with an infuriated looking Pony Head.

"Just what the actual _heck_ did you just do, Earth Turd?"

Marco groaned as he slowly picked himself up, glaring at Pony Head. "What was that for?"

Pony Head just continued looking at him, anger flaring up in her eyes. "You obviously just did something to make Star run off like that, you turd! So I ask you again, _what the actual heck did you just do?"_

Marco brushed the dirt from his suit as he turned to the floating princess, both annoyance and confusion gracing his expression. "I-I don't know! I mean, I didn't _do_ anything, we were just talking about the fake story I made up and then she bolted."

The boy looked at Pony Head, who was now sporting a serious thinking face. Marco sighed. "Is everything alright with her? I mean, she seemed fine a minute ago!" Marco had no idea what could have happened to make Star react like that.

Pony Head looked down in thought, and then back up at Marco, "Okay, Marco. What was the last thing you said to her? Do you remember the exact sentence?"

Marco closed his eyes and thought back to just a few moments previously. "Star had said that she liked my story … and I told her I was glad, because- oh yeah! I was glad because it was how I have been planning to ask Jackie out for years now, so I told her that, and then she-"

His recount was abruptly interrupted by yet another sharp prodding from Pony Head, this time in Marco's stomach. The boy doubled over, wheezing in pain, before shooting daggers up at Pony Head yet again, "Seriously, _stop doing that_!"

If Pony Head had looked mad before, now she looked outright enraged. "You did _what_?!" She flew closer to a confused looking Marco, glaring at him right in his eyes. "You are such an _idiot_ , Earth Turd! Who tells a girl they're at a dance with that they're fantasising about asking out some _other_ girl?!"

Marco groaned, "No, Pony Head, you don't understand. Me and Star aren't actually dating, I'm just doing this for her because-"

Pony Head scoffed in a much similar way to how she had scoffed earlier at Star's denial. "You keep telling yourself that, Marco. Meanwhile, while you go blurting out whatever stupid thoughts that come into that pea-sized brain of yours, Star is running through this ballroom crying her eyes out. What does _that_ tell you?"

Marco just looked up at the floating princess in confusion and desperation, his mouth hanging open. "I-I don't know? What is that supposed to mean? How should I know why she's so upset?"

If Pony wasn't so angry right now she could have laughed at Marco's obliviousness and foolishness. She floated down to Marco's level and almost screamed in his face, " _Because she likes you, you dummy_!"

Marco recoiled, at both Pony Head's close proximity and her words. _Star … likes me?_ The boy pondered on this for about four seconds before he snorted, Now he was the one to scoff, making Pony look utterly perplexed.

"You are crazy, _Pointy_ Head," he snickered, shaking his head as he looked at the princess. "Star doesn't _like_ me in that way. Trust me, you're not the first to think that. We're just best friends."

Pony Head groaned at the boy's stupidity, "There is a _reason_ for that, you stupid turd! Because everyone can see what you two clearly can't."

Marco shook his head again, refusing to believe Pony Head's wild theories, "You're way off. Like I said, we're just best friends. Nothing more, nothing less." _No layers._

"Really?" Pony Head inquired, eyeing Marco up and down in disbelief. "Then do tell me, Marco Diaz, why did she run off in tears at the mention of your long-time crush?"

Marco laughed, "Pfft, that's easy!" he exclaimed, waving his hand at the pony. "That's because-"

The boy paused, unable to think what he had planned the end of that explanation to be. He racked his brain, and yet no useful answer presented itself to him. Marco rubbed his chin in thought.

 _Come to think of it, why did she run off like that as soon as I mentioned Jackie? It must have been for another reason … but then again, she was fine moments before, I said that myself._ Marco scrunched his nose in thought. _So then why did she run off like that?_

Suddenly, Marco's breathing hitched as he remembered what Pony Head had just said. _Pony Head can't be … can't be right, can she? No, no way! Impossible ... right?_

"And let's not forget, Earth Turd," Pony Head interrupted Marco's train of thought and brought him back to reality, "That this isn't the first ball you two have attended where jealousy has been a key player."

Marco continued to stare at the pony in puzzlement, to which she sighed and continued, "Star told me all about the _Blood Moon Ball_ ," The memory of the night caused Marco to cringe internally, "And she told me about how you crashed the ball when you weren't even invited, just cos you were _jealous_ that she was going with her ex."

The boy stared, wide eyed and in shock, "Star _said that_ to you?!"

Pony Head shook her head. "Nope, but from the facts and details of the night, anyone could pretty much see the little green monster just bursting out of you."

At this point, Marco turned red, frowning in irritation, "It w-was not because I was j-jealous!" he stuttered defensively, glaring at Pony Head in defiance, "It was because … right, the reason I did it was … oh c'mon, Pony! Tom is a demon, I knew he was bad news from the moment I laid eyes on him. It was a gut feeling!"

Pony Head smirked sourly, "Oh, a gut feeling? Now I wonder just what feeling that was, huh?"

Marco was getting annoyed now. Not just at Pony Head's accusations, but because she was actually starting to make him question himself. _I can't have been jealous! I just wanted to protect Star. She had told me about how hot-headed he could be!_

He said his last thought outloud, "I needed to keep her safe!"

Pony Head just looked at Marco, and shook her head. "She can keep _herself_ safe."

The boy opened his mouth, and then closed it. He was unable to formulate a retort for that statement, because it was 100% fact. The look of annoyance dissipated from his face as the cogs in his brain started to slowly grind together.

 _And I knew that. I knew that she could keep herself safe. I had seen her kick monster butt about a hundred times by that point. She was always unstoppable, there was no doubt she could handle one simple demon teen._ Marco frowned. _So then why did I crash the ball and go after her?_

He couldn't answer that.

Pony Head looked at Marco as he continued with the internal struggle in his mind. She remained silent, letting the boy get there on his own.

But Marco couldn't quite reach any understanding at that moment in time. His mind felt exhausted, and he had no idea what to think or how to feel. He thought he was confused before, but now he was utterly hopeless.

Thoughts were buzzing around Marco's mind, and yet he couldn't structure or rationalise them. He was always so certain that he had a crush on Jackie, but now … he just didn't know what to think. It was like his own thoughts had become unreadable to him, which severely shocked and frightened the boy.

He didn't like feeling this uncertain about his own emotions. He looked up at Pony Head, who was still staring at him intently, waiting for him to come to some sort of realisation. And yet he just couldn't.

Marco took a deep breath in an attempt to regain himself. If he wanted to truly understand himself and his own feelings, then he knew what he had to do. _There is only one way I'm going to be able to sort my head out._

"I need to talk to Star." the boy said quietly, to which Pony Head sighed and nodded. He was almost there, just not quite yet. _He needs to find out where Star is,_ the girl thought to herself, _and then maybe he can find out where he is himself._

Marco smiled solemnly Pony Head, still processing all of the confusing thoughts in his mind. He slowly turned away from her and began scanning the ballroom, wandering around to find the answers to his problems.


	8. Chapter 8: The Princess and the Demon

**Chapter 8: The Princess and the Demon**

 _I could really do without this right now._

Star looked meekly at the demon prince standing before her. She was greeted with his cocky grin and suggestive eyes, which, at one point would have caused her stomach to erupt with butterflies. Now, however, she just felt nonplussed and unaffected. He was sporting a red suit that she had never seen him wear before. _Well, it has been a while since we broke up now,_ she thought.

Normally, Star would have groaned in annoyance and would say something bitter to make Tom, in kind words, go away. But after the recent events of the evening, she just felt … _defeated_. Defeated and tired.

"What do you want, Tom?" she sighed uninterestedly, looking around the ballroom to make sure _he_ wasn't anywhere close. She did not have the effort for it.

Tom frowned for a split second before it disappeared from his face entirely, as if it were never there. _Weird,_ he thought to himself, _I was expecting her to yell in my face or something._ Not that he was complaining. This was already going far better than he had previously anticipated.

"Just saw you from across the ballroom, Starship," he grinned, an air of casualness thick in his tone, "And thought I'd come say hello, maybe catch up on some old times?" He winked cooly.

The princess didn't even notice. She was barely paying any attention to Tom, her head still throbbing from what had just transpired moments ago. "Yeah. Sure. Great."

"Oh come onnnn, Star! You know you want to, it'll be like - wait, huh?" Tom blinked, assuming he had not heard the girl correctly. "Did … Did you say yes?"

Now Star was just staring down at her feet, biting her lip absentmindedly. "Why not?" she remarked sarcastically, "I have no where else to be."

Tom stood there, in complete shock at Star's willingness to continue speaking to him. He hadn't thought for a second that it would be _this_ easy to convince her. The girl was as strong-willed and stubborn as they came. _Brian's advice really did work,_ the demon thought, getting ready to do a little victory cheer in his head.

And yet, when his eyes fell on Star again, he stopped. Looking at the girl before him, Tom could almost feel the anguish and despair radiating off the girl. He squinted, getting a better look at her face, and saw that her eyes were rather red. She had been crying.

Tom felt genuine concern stir up inside of him. "Starship? What's up?"

Star looked up at him, a glare of pure malice and venom directed at the demon. "What do you care, Tom? Why are you even bothering me right now? This doesn't involve you."

If it were anyone else, Tom would have felt a surge of anger rush through his entire body at those words. And while he did feel slightly annoyed that his act of concern had been so rashly rebutted, all he had to do was study Star to know that she was not in a good place at this moment.

Tom had been, in all honesty, watching her for most of the night so far. He had to keep his distance in order to prevent arousing suspicion, and for that reason he failed to hear any of her earlier conversation with the Flying Princess Pony Head. _Not that I minded,_ thought Tom grumpily, _that horse head girl has a mouth on her, and a voice like nails on a chalkboard._

However, once Star's father, King Butterfly, had gathered a crowd of gawking idiots to encircle the girl, he had lost complete vision of her. He wasn't too sure what had been happening, so he had just rolled with it, thinking that surely he would spot his ex-girlfriend again soon enough. Unfortunately, when the crowd around them finally did disperse, it still took Tom a moment or two to locate Star. _All these princesses in all these dresses,_ he had thought in irritation, _they all look almost identical._

But when the moment of truth arrived, and Tom was finally able to glimpse Star, all he had seen was her running through the crowds of people, away from where the original crowd once stood. Tom had thought this behaviour had been rather peculiar, but, more importantly, it was a chance for him to get Star alone, all to himself. Even though he could no longer see her moving figure, the demon just followed the general direction in which he had seen the princess run.

Tom had not seen what had caused Star to sprint across the ballroom in such a fashion, and, in all honesty, he had been more preoccupied with figuring out a suitable approach rather than cracking that case. But the demon boy was no idiot. Judging from the state of the obviously sorrow-ridden princess in front of him, coupled with the lack of a certain arrogant earth boy, Tom thought he could take a wild stab in the dark at what had gone down.

"Was it something that idiot Marco did?" Tom asked, not even trying to keep the malevolence from his voice. It was no secret that him and Marco shared no love for one another.

Star looked up slightly at Tom, and laughed. This caught the demon prince off guard, as while he was used to hearing the chirpy and bubbly laughter of his ex-girlfriend, this particular chuckle was of a completely different nature. This laugh was cruel, bitter, unforgiving. A noise that sounded alien coming from the mouth of Star Butterfly. This was the laugh of a cynic.

"He _is_ an idiot," Star mumbled through gritted teeth, and Tom noticed that she began to clench her fists, "Some stupid boy who doesn't know anything about anything." Her voice began to raise slightly, causing a few guests to turn around in curiosity. "A dense, oblivious, idiotic, _infuriating-_ "

" _Woah_ Star! Just … just calm down, okay?" Tom said, looking warily at the girl. _Never thought I of all people would be telling anyone to calm down,_ he thought, slightly amused at the irony, but then again, he had never seen Star look so distraught.

Star blinked a few time, and looked around at the staring faces, realising that she had lost her cool. "Urgh," she groaned, the anger seeming to flood out of her system. For now, at least. "Sorry, Tom. I just … it doesn't matter." The girl sighed solemnly.

Tom turned around to face the dance floor, hearing the faint music of the ball slowly start to increase in volume. More and more of the princes and princesses seemed to be making their way to the dance floor, ready to have a romantic slow dance with their significant other. At this sight, a light bulb came alive with glowing colour in Tom's brain.

 _This is my chance,_ he thought to himself happily, _this is even better than Brian's plan. Pure luck and chance has delivered me with this opportunity to be a shoulder to cry on for Star, and that is as good a head start as any._ Tom smiled to himself smugly, as he brought back a little bit of his previous charming demeanour.

"Listen, Star," he began, getting the girl's attention, "You look like you need to have a good time. Everyone seems to be moving onto the dance floor," he pointed at all of the guests congregating in the centre of the ballroom, which Star looked at curiously. Tom continued, "How about we have a little dance? Just one? It may take your mind off things."

Star was about to just flat out refuse, but something stopped her. A little something inside her head that made Star ponder Tom's proposal. _I mean, it's not like he's wanting me to agree to marry him or anything. Even Tom wouldn't go that far. But still, it feels a little weird dancing with my ex-boyfriend, especially with all of our … history._

 _He's not the one you want to be dancing with, Star._ She thought of Marco, and immediately became mad at herself. _Get over it, you stupid girl! He has made it clear that he doesn't like you, so what is the point in continuing to let him rule over your mind?_ Star felt a surge of determination run through her body at that thought. As she had thought previously, she wasn't going to let Marco ruin her night. _Who knows? A dance with Tom might be fun. Definitely more fun that just standing here feeling sorry for my dumb self._ And the thought of _him_ certainly wasn't going to stop her from dancing with whoever she gosh darn well felt like!

Star glared up at Tom, who was holding out his hand and awaiting an answer. Without another thought, she determinedly took Tom's outstretched hand, much to the demon's shock and glee. "Why the heck not? Let's boogie, Tom."

Tom grinned, buzzing with excitement and confidence with how well he was doing so far. Out of all the reasons for Star to choose to dance with him, spite would be the last. However, if he played his cards right and made all the right moves, this spiteful dance could easily lead to something more.

And with that, the two of them made their way to the dance floor, both sporting looks of pure determination, albeit for _very_ different reasons.

* * *

 _Just where did she go?_

Marco had been searching around the ballroom for what felt like a lifetime, just trying to detect where his best friend had gone. And so far, he had had absolutely no luck in finding her. _This ballroom is massive with hundreds of people occupying it,_ thought the boy in frustration. _How the heck am I gonna find her in all this mess?_

The confusing thoughts were all building up inside Marco's head now, and he was looking through the crowds frantically, in sheer desperation. He needed to find Star in order to clear up his own mind, and to find out if what Pony Head had said was actually true.

Finally, Marco had to resort to asking a complete stranger for help. "Excuse me, miss?" he asked politely, approaching a group of nearby princesses. They all turned around in curiosity, so Marco continued, "You haven't happened to have seen Princess Star Butterfly come past here, have you? Blonde girl, hearts on her cheeks. Wearing a blue dress."

One of the princesses looked Marco up and down, before donning half lidded eyes and a playful grin. "How about you forget this Princess Dragonfly of yours and accompany me for a dance? Everyone's heading to the dance floor now, and I'm in need of a prince charming." She winked at Marco, her friends giggling girlishly behind her.

Marco felt his face heat up a bit, although not to the extent it had been heating up recently. This princess was pretty. _Very_ pretty. Marco couldn't figure out why a girl like this would want to dance with _him_. He had never dreamed in a million years that such a girl would ever come onto him like this, it was almost too good to be true.

And yet all he could think about was finding Star.

Marco chuckled nervously. "Erm, thanks for the offer and everything, but I _really_ need to be finding Princess Butterfly."

The girl just frowned at him. "Suit yourself, handsome." she huffed, before turning back around to her friends and waltzing off to the dance floor.

Marco's blush returned at being called ' _handsome'_ , but he didn't let it distract him. _Think, Marco, think. Where could Star have gotten herself to? Maybe someone else has seen her?_

Marco turned around to find someone else to ask, and yet found that everyone was moving briskly towards the centre of the ballroom. Suddenly, Marco recalled what that girl had just said to him.

 _They're all going to the dance floor, huh?_ Marco pondered, following the masses while keeping his eyes peeled for Star. _I'm betting that's where I'll find her._

* * *

The slow, melodic tune hummed in a tranquil tone as Tom and Star arrived in the middle of the dance floor, directly underneath the crystal butterfly chandelier. All around them couples were already beginning to slow dance, seemingly swept up in the beautiful Mewnian music.

Tom smiled at Star as he yet again held out his hand for her. Star smiled back, although it seemed somewhat forced, as she took Tom hand and they began to slowly dance. It wasn't the first time the pair had danced in such a manner, as they had attended an array of different parties together during their relationship. Because of this past experience, they seemed to dance together almost flawlessly, gracefully moving around the ballroom, hand in hand.

The demon smiled to himself as they danced, feeling how well they fitted together in this whole scenario. _Star will surely notice it too,_ he thought to himself, guiding Star in their dance, _and soon she will forget all about that imbecile Marco and realise what she's been missing with me._

However, while Star was somewhat enjoying the dance and the brief escape from her reality, there was still the thought of Marco at the back of mind, almost throbbing. She couldn't help but think about how magical this dance would be if it would have been with him, which was sadly something that would probably never happen. She sighed quietly as she danced, which did not go unnoticed by Tom.

"You need to forget about that punk, Starship," he said, offering Star a warm smile. "Whatever he did to tick you off, it must have been pretty stupid. And that just shows that he doesn't deserve you."

Star was brought out of her thoughts by Tom's comment, and was genuinely touched by the demon's kindness. She smiled back at him, "Thanks Tom," she said, continuing to move to the rhythm of the melody, "He … he is just still pretty hung up on some other girl, is all."

Tom didn't even need to feign shock at what Star had just said. "You're kidding, right?" he asked in disbelief, to which the princess shook her head. "He obviously doesn't see what is right in front of him. And if that is the case, then he is as blind as he is oblivious."

To this, Star let out a small giggle as she danced, this one full of humour rather than hurt. Tom was genuinely happy to see Star cheering up slightly, and laughed along with her.

The laughter died out, and Star looked up into all three of Tom's eyes. "You sure do know how to cheer a gal up Tom." she said, almost cheerfully, before looking down again and sighing. "It's just…"

She trailed off, and Tom saw his opportunity to cement a feeling of trust. "You can tell me anything, Star. I'm here for you."

Again, Star looked up at Tom, a small smile on her face. Tom grinned back, more to himself than anyone. _This is working like a charm,_ he thought proudly, _she is like putty in my hands. Soon enough my plan will be complete, and Star will be head over heels for me yet again. Oh, I am good, this is all just so-_

"It's just, it hurts so much, to adore someone so much while they have feelings for someone else."

Those words hit Tom like a brick. His thought process halted completely, still trying to analyse what Star had just said. He continued to dance with Star as if nothing had happened, but inside his mind, everything was falling to pieces.

Before now Tom had been dealing out sympathy to Star in order to get in her good books. And it was genuine, too. He really did feel sorry for the princess, even though he was using her predicament to benefit himself. But _this,_ this feeling was different. He looked into Star's big blue eyes, and in them all he saw was pure heartbreak. Pain.

And then and there, Tom was able to empathise. He was able to actually _empathise_ with Star, as he knew that pain. The pain of unrequited love. At that moment he was able to feel what Star was feeling, actually _feel_ her sorrow and hurt. Because he had felt the same.

He had been in similar circumstances to Star, circumstances which, ironically, involved her. The feeling of heartbreak he had felt when Star had broken up with him, the feeling of pain whenever he saw her and Marco together. The demon knew from experience that there was no greater internal torture. Looking into Star's eyes he saw that torture, but more importantly, he saw himself.

He saw his own experiences with unrequited love burning in Star's eyes, in her very soul. Tom was able to place himself in Star's shoes, as they had both felt this horrible pain. And the fact that he saw that Star was feeling this same, unbearable agony of heartbreak, broke his own heart even more.

Tom blinked, frowning to himself. He looked down, and saw his figure moving majestically with Star's, in time to the beautiful music. He grimaced. _What am I doing?_ he thought to himself, looking blankly at the situation he was in, unable to believe that this is where he was and what he was doing. _I can't do this to Star. I … I can't manipulate or take advantage of her like this, not when she is in this state._ Tom breathed heavily, a sense of guilt washing over him as he reached this moral epiphany. _She is vulnerable and broken, and I know how terrible that feels, and yet all I can do is exploit the situation for my own personal gain?_

Tom, all in an instant, felt disgusted. He again looked at Star, who was now staring at the floor as she danced, humming absentmindedly to the music. He closed his eyes, scowling. _How could I ever do something so heinous to someone I care so deeply about?_

The demon took a deep breath, not actually able to believe what he was about to say next. "Star, listen to me." The girl looked up at Tom, eyebrows raised.

"You should … you need to talk to Marco about all of this." Tom began, causing Star's eyes to slightly widen, obviously not expecting to hear this from him. "I know you think he likes this other girl, but I have _seen_ the way he looks at you. It's the same way I…" he trailed off awkwardly, looking away.

Star continued to stare at Tom intently, and he finally continued. "What I mean is, you and him have something special. Something _real_. We've all seen it. I think maybe once you tell him how you feel, he might realise that he shares those feelings and see it too. And if not, it can't be helped. It will hurt, but at least you won't spend who knows how long wondering, and you'll be able to move on."

Tom smiled warmly, at both Star and himself. "A good friend once told me that if you be yourself, which is all you can be, someone may realise that they have already fallen for you." The demon paused, scratching his chin. "At least I _think_ that's what he said. To be honest, I wasn't paying much attention."

Star giggled at this, making Tom grin, the pair still dancing all the while. The princess was genuinely moved by Tom's words, as she slowly realised that he was right. _I cannot fall into my signature habit of running away when things get tough_ , she thought, a glimmer of determinism sparkling in her eye. _If I want things to progress, I need to face Marco. And whatever unsavoury feelings that come with that._

Much to Tom's surprise, he felt Star slide her arms deeper around him, engulfing him in a warm friendly hug. "Thank you so much, Tom," she whispered, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. "You're a great friend."

 _And that's all I'll ever be, it seems,_ Tom sighed. Even so, he felt rejuvenated, in a sense. He felt fresh, clean of any bitter and angry thoughts that swam around his mind beforehand. The demon boy returned the hug, still slowly dancing with the girl. _If Star can be happy, then so can I._

And as a sentimental embrace was shared between the princess and the demon, their feet continuing to glide to the rhythm of the gentle music, a lone brown-haired figure watched them intensely, his hands slowly balling up at his sides and forming shaking fists.


	9. Chapter 9: Sound of Drums

**Chapter 9: Sound of Drums**

In a ballroom decorated with beautiful pageantry, glistening lights and an amazing crystal chandelier, there is a lot on offer to observe. Not to mention all of the hundreds of beautifully dressed high-born nobles dancing slowly to the gentle melody playing softly in the background. It is not common for one to see such a feast for the eyes, such an inherently magical and majestic setting, especially for a common earth boy. But for this earth boy in particular, there was only _one_ thing that he was looking at.

Marco had been heading in the direction of the dance floor, which was located in the centre of the ballroom. Wading through the abundance of infatuated dancers, he had been desperately trying to find Star so that he could talk to her and find out just what exactly was going on, both in her head and his own. The boy had headed from the left of the ballroom and was making his way to the centre of the crowd, signposted by the looming crystal butterfly hanging elegantly above everyone. All the while he was keeping an eye out for his fake girlfriend for the evening, and once he captured her in his vision, he was informed that she was not alone.

There, only a few yards in front of him, stood Star Butterfly, a warm smile infecting her peaceful-looking face. That was not, however, what Marco had noticed first. The thing that really caught his immediate attention was the person who her body was pushed up against, hugging and dancing. The person who had Star's arms wrapped so tightly around him, and whose arms ensnared Star in a similar fashion. The person who was slowly moving to the rhythm of the music along with the princess, looking calm, tranquil and happy.

Star was hugging and dancing with her temperamental demon ex-boyfriend.

 _She's dancing with … Tom?_ The first feeling to hit the boy was a wave of confusion. Marco stood there, completely perplexed at this sight. He would never have thought that in a million years Star would even _consider_ dancing with Tom, after everything he had put both her and Marco through. He couldn't even comprehend the circumstances that could ever possibly arise that would cause Star to do such a thing. This feeling lasted for the entirety of a nanosecond.

The feeling that followed, however, felt _far_ more drawn out. This was a feeling that made Marco's stomach feel like it was cramping, so much so that he raised a hand to his torso. His chest felt like it was falling, just falling, no ground in sight. Just an endless drop, that constant feeling of hopelessness and exhilaration. The bad kind of exhilaration. Marco's hand rose from his stomach and stopped over his chest. _**Thmp thmp thmp**_. His heartbeat seemed to have drastically increased. He didn't like this feeling. The feeling of drums in his chest.

And as he continued to watch the princess and the demon embrace each other so dearly, Marco's chest finally hit whatever ground it had been falling towards, and what erupted out of the shattered remains was a feeling that Marco instantly recognised. _Anger_. He felt _angry_ at the scene in front of him, at the fact that Tom and Star were sharing this hug. He didn't like it. He didn't like _watching_ it happen. And he really wanted them to stop.

 _How could she ever hug Tom like that?_ the boy thought, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. _I don't understand how she could act so … so friendly towards him, after all the garbage he has put us through! It's almost as if they're-_

Whatever mental defense mechanism that lurked inside of Marco's mind, it was at this moment that it kicked into action. He found that he couldn't finish that thought. _No, that's not it,_ he thought, _I know what I was thinking._ But at the same time, he didn't. It was like he knew, but he he didn't _want_ to know. At this thought, Marco grew annoyed at these unintentional mental gymnastics, and forced the end of that thought back into his head.

 _-together._

And that made him angry. The root cause of his anger was the fact that Tom and Star were dancing and hugging _as if they were together._ Marco continued to watch them, their embrace neverending, the boy's face utterly blank and unreadable. But it was his mild shaking and his balled up fists that gave it away. He stood there, motionless, the sound of the drumbeat in his chest drowning out any and all music around him. His heart seemed to be playing it's own song. A song full of fiery malice that burned. It _burned_.

There was something else. Marco felt it, in his tightly knotted stomach. It was exacerbating his anger, adding to it, almost as if it were egging his anger on. A feeling that made his anger feel worse, that made _him_ feel worse. And that was hurt.

Marco felt an urge. It thumped away in the corner of his brain, parallel to the drumbeat of his excited heart. He wanted to stride up to the dancing couple, and tear them away from each other. He wanted them to stop, before these intense feelings of anger and hurt burnt him out from the inside. And he almost did as well. If he were anybody else, he may have lost this battle with temptation. But the more rational side of Marco's mind kicked in. Not because he was concerned for any possible consequence, or the morality of it.

But it was the fact that Marco had no idea what was motivating him to feel this way.

The boy arranged the facts as he knew them in his head, all the while feeling overwhelming vexation at Star and Tom hugging. _I feel so angry, and I feel hurt. I feel angry and hurt because of Tom and Star, how they are dancing, how they are hugging. The way they are doing these things, it makes it look like they're … together._

Funnily enough, when Marco thought this, it was Pony Head voicing these thoughts in his mind. He recalled back to their previous conversation. _Pony Head told me some things that muddled up my mind, and asked me questions that I couldn't answer. She mentioned the Blood Moon Ball, and-_

Marco froze. _The Blood Moon Ball! I remember feeling this way when Star left to go to the Blood Moon ball, only nowhere near as strongly. So if I felt this way about Star going to a ball with Tom, and now I feel it again watching … them …_

The cogs in his brain slowed down, and his mind felt an inch away from just shutting down completely. Marco forgot his anger, his fists uncurling and his shaking ceasing. His eyes widened and his mouth hung slightly agape, as he finally realised why Star going to the Blood Moon Ball with Tom hurt so much. Why watching Star and Tom dance hurt so much.

He was _jealous_.

And suddenly, as if the drumbeat in his chest reached it's booming finale, he realised. He realised that the reason why Pony Head's words had confused him so much was because they highlighted the truth to him. He realised just _why_ he was feeling such intense feelings of jealousy when Star and Tom embraced, and when they went to the Blood Moon Ball together. Marco was shocked. He just couldn't quite believe it.

 _Pony Head was right. I have a crush on Star Butterfly._

Marco breathed out heavily, as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest. The drumbeat became steady again. And yet Marco felt no more calmer. In fact, he found himself propelled into a state of pure shock. He raised his hands and looked at them, squinting. _I … like Star? But … but how? When did this happen? Why did this happen?_

He looked up at the girl, who was now chatting to Tom, smiling and giggling. He took her all in, the way she grinned, the way she laughed. From her golden hair to the marks on her cheeks. _I already know the answer to that,_ thought Marco, his cheeks warming up. _She is beautiful. Inside and out._ The boy stood there, agape at his own memories. _I said that myself. It only took me this long to realise how much meaning those words had._

This newfound realisation put everything into place. _It all makes sense now,_ Marco thought in wonderment. _All the blushing, all the awkwardness, all of these feelings that I didn't understand._ He took a deep breath, everything impacting in on him in a second. _How is it that I am only just seeing this now? What everyone else has been seeing from the start?_ Marco shook his head in disbelief. _I like Star..._

But it didn't matter. Marco's thoughts came crashing back down to reality, as his eyes reminded him _who_ she was dancing with. He watched them as Tom released Star from their dance as the music slowly faded away, looking deeply into each other's eyes. He felt the reality of his circumstances stab him in the heart. _Pony Head was only half-right, it seems,_ he thought, the despair building up inside his chest.. _I feel this way for her, but Star …_

Marco felt his heart ache. Whatever he had been feeling before, he liked this even less. It felt exhausting. _If I had known this is how it would feel to sort out my head, I would rather have stayed confused and ignorant._ He continued to watch as Tom seemed to part from Star, walking away through the crowds of people. The princess turned away from his retreating figure, and her eyes fell on Marco.

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Star looked shocked, almost apprehensive to see him, Marco saw the hurt in her wide eyes. _Hurt that I have caused,_ he realised. Then he mentally kicked himself, all of the pieces falling into place. _What I said about Jackie! Of course! She ran off crying and found Tom, and then…_

Marco didn't want to think about the rest. It hurt too much. And at that moment it seemed that the person Marco was angriest with tonight was himself. _I drove her into Tom's arms._ The boy looked down, unable to continue to look into Star's mesmerising blue eyes, out of shame. _If I wasn't so stupid obsessing over some girl I barely know, then maybe I would have seen the girl that was right in front of me! I am such an idiot, how could I be so stupid?!_

Self-pity washed over Marco like a wave. He closed his eyes, feeling truly defeated. _And now she is back together with Tom. That's what you get, Marco Diaz. You blew your chance, and now she is gone._ The boy shook his head, the weight that had just previously been lifted crashing down on him yet again. _You don't deserve her._

"Marco?" came a cautious voice, causing Marco to raise his head and open his eyes. It seemed that Star had walked up to him during his mental berating of himself, and was now staring carefully at him, looking nervous. Marco stared back at her, studying the girl who was now up close to him. _Was she always this gorgeous?_ he thought, taking in Star's breathtaking appearance. _Of course I would realise how amazing she is as soon as she becomes unavailable._

Marco forced a small smile, a smile that hid obvious sadness. "Hey, Star." he said weakly, trying not to choke on his words. Just starting a dialogue with the girl was making him realise that _she_ was all that he has ever wanted. Something that he would never have.

Star returned the little smile, rubbing her arm awkwardly, "I … uh … I think we should, y'know, talk…"

The princess trailed off, averting her eyes from Marco's gaze. _Like he wants to talk to me,_ Star thought bitterly. _He has probably figured out why I ran away crying and wants to avoid me like the plague. Not that I blame him._

Marco, however, wholeheartedly agreed. _We need to talk this all out, because I don't think I can spend anymore time with all of this poison in my mind without letting some out._ "Sure, Star. Yeah."

Star looked up, slightly surprised that Marco had agreed to this. She studied the boy. _He seems … sad. Maybe he's just feeling sorry for me._ She didn't like the idea of receiving pity from her best friend and crush, it just felt so patronising. _I need to get on top of this,_ she thought, taking a deep breath. _No more dancing around the truth. Let's get awkward._

"Marco, I-"

* * *

Star never got to finish her sentence, as at that precise moment, both her and Marco were blinded by a bright white light. Blinking a few times, the pair managed to regain their vision, only to see said white light encircling them. Looking up, they saw the source of this light. The giant crystal butterfly chandelier was draping them in this bright beam, touching them and only them. It was a spotlight.

" **Ladies and gentleman, princes and princesses**!" they heard a loud, echoing voice declare, and the pair looked around in confusion. The source of the voice was nowhere to be seen, but what they did see was that every pair of eyes in the ballroom was now on them.

The voice continued, " **If I can turn your attention to the butterfly spotlight, it is at this time that we would like to thank our host princess and the royal Butterfly family for hosting this annual ball. We all owe you our gratitude for this wonderful evening**!"

There was a small round of applause from the gaggle of onlookers. Star smiled and waved awkwardly, still not used to donning the princess role. Marco watched her and did the same, although he wasn't sure that he should, as the microphone-sounding voice hadn't mentioned him.

" **And now** ," said the voice, " **it is time for the host princess to cap off the evening with a final dance with her chosen prince. Ladies and gentleman, I give you Princess Star Butterfly of Mewni and Prince Marco Diaz of Earth**!"

Marco gulped at being yet again referred to as a prince. A slow, soft melodic drumbeat ensued, coupled with what sounded to Marco like a harp. The two seemed to complement each other well, as a gentle melody echoed around the ballroom. All the occupants of the dance floor were as still as statues, eyes glued to Star and Marco, who were now expected to dance.

Star turned back around to face Marco, smiling apologetically. _I've put him through more than enough tonight, and this is only going to make things more awkward._

Marco gave a small smile back. _Well, at least you get to dance with her, Marco. Better than nothing._ He tried to flood these negative thoughts from his head and just focus on not screwing up the dance and embarrassing Star. _Probably won't be able to live up to the dance skills of Tom, but oh well, no point crying over spilt milk…_

Letting out a heavy breath, Marco presented his palm to Star, continuing to smile. "This seems all too familiar, huh?" he said quietly, his eyes moving up to look at the spotlight. Star giggled, and took the boy's hand. They began to slowly dance.

The harp and the drums continued to flow melodically in the air as Marco held Star and Star held Marco. The two of them moved about the dance floor slowly, keeping to the rhythm of the instruments. The spotlight followed wherever they danced, watching over them majestically.

When Star had been dancing with Tom, she had thought to herself what it would be like to dance with Marco. And she was not disappointed. The feel of his hand in hers coupled with the close proximity of their bodies was enough to make Star blush furiously. The way they felt together, the way that they seemed to fit perfectly with each other, the way that the music and the light created such a romantic atmosphere. It all felt so … _right_.

 _Even if he does still like Jackie,_ Star thought sadly, as the pair continued to dance, _then at least I will have this. This one moment, where all my troubles were forgotten, and everything was just pure bliss._

Marco, on the other hand, had half expected a flaming bolt of fire to hit him in the back as soon as he started dancing with Star. When it never came, Marco was able to relax into the dance. _Maybe Star asked Tom not to interfere,_ he pondered gloomily. Being able to relax, however, made Marco really appreciate his inner emotions during this dance. Star's touch sent bolts of electricity coursing down his spine, and his skin felt such a satisfying warmth that he had never felt before. This was a feeling that Marco never wanted to end. But it was bittersweet, as he sadly knew that it would.

 _And then Tom will come along, and she will dance all the rest of her dances with him._ The thought pained Marco. It struck him with grief, knowing that this is the closest he will ever get to being with Star. _I have no one but myself to blame._

The delicate music of the drums and harp continued to echo throughout the ballroom, and Marco and Star continued to move gracefully to it's beat. They moved their legs to the subtle drumbeat, managing to elegantly move with each other's bodies.

 _I need to explain myself to him,_ thought Star. _I need to say what I was going to say. He deserves an explanation, and I deserve some closure._ The princess took a deep breath, and began to speak, "Listen, Marco-"

"No, Star." the boy interrupted, making Star don a look of puzzlement. She looked at Marco, who had a sad and apologetic look on his face which just melted Star's heart. He looked back at her and smiled dolefully, opening his mouth to speak.

"First, I want to speak to you. I need to apologise." Star tried to interrupt, but Marco wouldn't let her. "Please Star, I need to say this."

He took a deep breath. "Star, I never realised that saying what I said earlier would upset you so much. If I had realised, I never would have said it. I hope you realise that."

Marco looked away to the crowd. "I'm just an idiot, I guess, huh?"

Star giggled at this, and her heart was warmed by his apology. Yes, she knew that he hadn't intentionally meant to hurt her, but hearing Marco's voice so thick with regret and sadness, and seeing the pained expression on his face made Star smile sorrowfully. She swallowed hard. "You're not an idiot. It's fine Marco, honestly."

"But it's not fine," Marco said firmly, looking back at Star with fire in his eyes. The princess' breath hitched at the boy's sudden burst of confidence, and heard a fast paced drumbeat of her own in her chest run parallel to that of the music playing.

Marco looked down, the feeling of guilt and shame washing over him. "I hate that I made you feel like that. I don't … I don't want to be the one who makes you feel like that. Star, it kills me to see you so upset."

Star stared longingly at the boy, touched by his poetic words. _He always knows just the right thing to say,_ she thought, a bittersweet feeling settling in her chest. She sighed. _Jackie sure is one lucky girl…_

Marco felt tears welling up in his eyes, and managed to blink them away. He looked back up into Star's eyes, and brown met blue. "And now I've messed everything up."

The princess' heart broke at the warble in Marco's voice. "No no, Marco. Everything will be fine, I promise you."

Marco shook his head in despair. "It won't be." He almost choked on air before composing himself. "Because now, because of my stupidity, you're going to find happiness with _him_."

Until now, Star had been hanging on every word, a feeling of warmth spreading through her body at Marco's kind words, making her ache for him even more. Their slow dance continued, the light of the crystal butterfly stalking them intently. But at this, Star blinked. _Wait .. what? Who … who is he talking about._ Confusion hit Star like a freight train. _What?_

"Marco, what-" Star began, honestly perplexed by Marco's words, but the boy yet again interrupted her, and she now saw his eyes starting to glass over.

"Don't say anything, Star." he said quietly, looking deep into her eyes. "I want you to be happy. And if Tom can make you happy, then you should go all in."

Now Star was completely stumped. The conversation was definitely not playing out in the way she thought it would. _Why is he talking about Tom now?_ she thought, the confusion washing over her. _And what does he mean by all of this?_

Star would have questioned Marco, but he seemed to be rambling at this point. The boy was fighting back tears. He didn't want to ruin this for Star, and he wanted to remain strong. Retain what little dignity he had left. The girl continued to stare intently at Marco as he continued to speak.

"If he can make you happy, then you should be with him, Star. I saw you dancing with him earlier, and he seemed to really make you smile. And if that's the case, then he deserves you so much more than I do."

Star blinked. And again. And again. Time seemed to freeze again for the princess, as Marcos's words flooded into her mind, rambling around her head. She couldn't quite comprehend what the boy had just said to her.

Marco continued on, oblivious as usual to Star's internal reaction. "All I seem to bring you is misery. It has taken me _far_ too long to realise how much you mean to me Star. You were right there in front of me, but me being Marco, I was too stupid to see how amazing you really are."

The princess' eyes widened dramatically as her mouth slowly opened, forming an 'O' shape. She felt her grip on Marco's hands loosen slightly as the implications of his words were bouncing around her head. She continued to stare at him, still dancing, the bright white spotlight highlighting the pain evident on his face, utterly unable to believe what she had just heard. The only thing the dumbfounded girl could process right now was incomplete thoughts. _Did he just..? Is he…? Does he…?_

"And you shouldn't suffer for that," Marco spoke on, now looking down in shame at his actions, or lack thereof. "You've made your choice, and I respect that. I only ask that we can _please_ still be friends, Star, because I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. I don't think I'd be able to function without you in my life. And even if I could, there is no way I'd want to. You are everything to me, you are just my- _mmpf_!"

Star leapt forward without a second thought, draping her arms around Marco's neck, and crashing her lips into his.

Marco stumbled back for a moment, his mind going a mile a minute. He had no idea what was happening, or _how_ it what happening. But then all of a sudden, his mind went blank. He forgot who he was, and where he was. He forgot what he was saying and what he was doing. Slowly, automatically, he wrapped his arms around Star's waist, feeling the soft fabric of her dress, and melted into the kiss. The boy kissed her back, the soft feeling of her lips against his sending a wave of warm pleasure through his body. He tightened the embrace as Star ran her hand through Marco's hair, and they continued to kiss.

For Star, it was like a burst of electricity. She had finally given into her urges, and she had never felt so euphoric as she did in this moment. She deepened the kiss, pushing her lips harder against Marco's, soaking up the taste of his lips. The feeling of their mouths connected, the smooth, soft brushing together of their lips caressing one another, it was something like Star had never experienced, and something that she wanted to experience a million times over. _This_ was pure bliss. She loved it, every minute of their lips dancing to the drumbeat in the same way the two of them had been dancing moments ago. She loved it. She loved _him_.

Marco had to stop himself from moaning with pleasure as he kissed the girl in front of him. He had never know how badly he had wanted this until he got it. And now that he was experiencing this heavenly kiss, he never wanted it to end. He wanted to cement himself in this moment in time forever. Just him and Star, connected as one through the electrifying magic of their lips exploring each other. Marco heard the soft sound of drums and harp slowly dissipate into nothing as he held Star close to him, sharing with her a magical and indescribable moment of pure joy and love.

The crowds watched them, warm smiles spread all across the ballroom. Everyone seemed mesmerised by the obvious infatuation before them. Yet again, affectionate noises could be heard from all around the couple, all those watching having their hearts warmed by this display of love. Some couples even kissed themselves, the feeling of love and solidarity seeming to be contagious.

Queen Moon and King River watched the happy couple share their first kiss, arms around one another. Star's two parents were genuinely warmed by the display of affection, as they had seen how happy the boy had made their daughter. And they knew that they would do nothing but cherish each other and make one another happier than they ever thought possible. Moon and River looked in each other's eyes, before sharing a kiss as well. They knew that from experience.

Pony Head grinned as she watched her two friends finally melt into each other's arms. She was beyond happy that Marco had eventually come to his senses and realised his love for Star before it was too late. She was also over the moon for her best friend, as she could see how much the stupid earth turd meant to her. _It's a curse,_ thought Pony Head smugly, watching Star and Marco continue to kiss with all the emotion they could muster. _Always being right._

Tom harboured a sad sort of smile, bittersweet one might call it, as he viewed his ex-girlfriend and his long-time crush lock lips with another boy, both still draped in the glorious white light. There was a time when this sight would have caused the demon boy to bring the whole castle down in one blazing inferno in an anger induced tantrum. And while this sight did hurt Tom in his heart, he had learnt that letting negative emotions get the better of you always led to disaster. Even disaster that the demon couldn't see himself until he washed away his selfishness and realised that the universe didn't revolve around him. There were other people all around him whose happiness mattered just as much as his. Tom looked at Star. _Some more,_ he thought, smiling warmly. And as long as he had helped the person he cares about above all else achieve that kind of happiness, then he could live with that.

Finally, Star and Marco separated, both panting slightly for air. The feeling of the other's lips still tingled on their own, the electricity of their kiss still alive. They were both blushing fiercely, heat radiating off their cheeks. Still holding one another in that same intimate way, they stared into each other's eyes. Brown poured into blue and blue poured into brown as they looked inside each other's souls, seeing the glaring mutual joyfulness that they both shared. Star smiled widely at Marco, and he returned it tenfold, their feelings intertwining into something purely beautiful. And with their chests pressed together, they felt the rhythm of their respective drumbeats sync swiftly, unifying them indefinitely.

The echoing voice spoke again, for a final time, booming across the ballroom. " **Ladies and gentleman, once again, I give you the future King and Queen of Mewni**!"

And with that, a burst of cheers and applause could be heard, bouncing off of the walls of the ballroom and piercing the eardrums of everyone in there. There was not one person not clapping with a feeling of genuine happiness in the room, as they all gave their undying praise to the couple of the evening. Everyone, every single person at that moment in time, was applauding the magnificent relationship of Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz.

* * *

 **Don't worry, it's not over yet! Still a little bit to go, so stay tuned! :)**


	10. Chapter 10: Glow

**Chapter 10: Glow**

The hour was late in the town of Echo Creek. Owls could be distinctly heard hooing in the distance as the silver moon draped the streets in glimmering light. Said streets were barren, everyone having retired to their homes long ago, ready for a relaxing evening of peace and slumber. Despite the brightness of the moon, darkness filled all the houses that decorated the quaint little town. All except one.

In the magical tower that protruded from the side of the Diaz residence, glowing light could be seen shining out from the windows, invading the streets below. While all other lights in the home had been turned off, this one remained active. The light of Star Butterfly's room.

And yet even so, the large spiralling room was completely empty. No magical princess from another dimension in sight. Only the faint sound of snoring emanating from a particularly big book of spells could be heard. Apart from that, dead silence. That is until the obnoxious sound of ripping spread through the room, as a swirling portal sliced into the fabric of space was created.

A grey suited boy emerged, almost jumping out of the portal, and landed firmly on the floor. He moved his hands to his hair and ruffled it lightly, making sounds of contempt as he did so.

"Oh man," Marco groaned, continuing to attempt to fix his messy hair, "I swear, those stupid portals always do this. It's like going through pure static!"

As the Latino boy ran his hands through his messy brown hair, a second figure stepped out of the portal, more gracefully than her predecessor, wearing an elegant blue dress.

"No idea what you're talking about, Marco." Star said casually, feeling her own smooth blond hair with her fingers. "It never does that to me."

Marco's frown turned into a playful grin as he rolled his eyes. "Well, we can't all be as lucky as you, _your majesty_."

Star folded her arms and huffed in pretend annoyance, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of red. _He is far too cute for his own good._

"Bit hypocritical now, that nickname, wouldn't ya say, Diaz?" she smirked, to which Marco just look confused. "Now that you're ' _Prince Marco Diaz of Earth and future King of Mewni'_."

Now it was Marco's turn to blush, which made Star giggle. Once her laughter had died out, a silence ensued. The earth boy and the princess looked at each other, smiling sheepishly.

"So," began Marco, rubbing his arm and shifting his gaze, "Eventful night to say the least, huh?"

Star smiled at this, her eyes still on her fake date of the evening, "Oh yeah. You could say that."

Silence again. Marco's blush had yet to subside, as he tapped his hands against his leg awkwardly. Finally, he looked back at Star. "Hey, at least the plan worked, right?"

"Yep," the girl said cheerily, still feeling the aftermath of being on cloud nine for the end of the ball, "Too well, you might say."

Marco laughed nervously. "Ha ha, yeah…" He trailed off, not really sure how to continue this conversation. _What do I say now? Should … should I bring it up?_

Marco almost felt himself say goodnight to Star, and bolt out of then room, but he stopped himself. _What am I thinking?_ the boy thought, irritated at himself. _It's that kind of thinking that made Star so upset before._ Marco took a deep breath. _No more Safe Kid stuff, Diaz._

"So Star…" he began, causing the princess' eyes to shoot back over to him, glistening with hope.

"Yes, Marcoooo?"

The boy shifted uncomfortably, "Will this … I mean, uh … is this gonna, y'know … ch-change things? Between us?"

Star grinned at this, and for a split second Marco thought he saw something glowing from her dress pocket. "Only if you want it too." she said playfully.

Marco's attention was drawn back to Star as he heard her words. He looked at her face and took it all in. Her small, flirtatious smile. Her mesmerising blue eyes. Her cute little pink hearts on her cheeks. Her overall overwhelming beauty.

He felt a surge of confidence take over him, his previous nervousness forgotten. He looked Star straight in her eyes, and returned her smile. "I do," he said, blushing all the while. "I really do."

Star's eyes lit up and she felt her stomach do somersaults, both at Marco's words and his smile. She slowly made her way over to him, not being able to contain her giddiness. "Good," she said softly, stopping just in front of him. "So do I."

At that, Star launched herself at Marco, tackling him into a warm hug. Marco laughed a little at this before wrapping his arms round Star and melting into the embrace, sighing contently.

They stayed like that for a while, both latched onto each other, soaking up the joy they felt in the other's arms. Finally, Star looked up at Marco, fire in her eyes. "So it's official then … _boyfriend_?"

Marco's face became even redder at this new label, but he found that the word settled well with him. He returned Star's blazing glare, as he bent his head down and caught the girl in a surprise kiss.

It only lasted for a second, but Star felt a rush at feeling the boy's lips on her's yet again. As Marco pulled away, feeling the same sense of tingling and euphoria, Star stared up at him, blushing madly and in a dazed state. "I guess it does…" he said, smiling at her, which she slowly returned. "...girlfriend."

 _Girlfriend…_ Star thought, throwing the word around in her head. In the end, she smiled to herself. _I could get used to that._

Yet again, the pair stayed in their embrace, just staring into each other's eyes. It was a magnificent moment, a comfortable silence, the both of them just basking in the happiness of their new found relationship. Finally, however, Marco broke the silence.

"So you're definitely not into Tom, right?"

Star smacked his side, exiting the hug and making Marco both chuckle and wince in pain simultaneously. "You just _had_ to ruin it, didn't you?"

"Afraid so," replied Marco, nursing his hip and grinning to Star at the same time. The girl couldn't keep up the charade of being mad at him for long, and yet another smile spread on her face as well.

"In all seriousness, Tom was a huge help tonight," Star said, thinking back fondly to the talk she had had with her demon ex-boyfriend. "He's not so bad, y'know?"

Marco shrugged. "If you say so. But I can't see us becoming best pals, if that's what you're getting at." He winked at the princess, grinning.

Star rolled her eyes. "We'll see."

Suddenly, Marco clapped his hands together. "Anyway, enough about Tom. This all calls for a celebration. How about I whip up some of Marco's Super Awesome Nachos?"

At these words, Star instantly jumped up in glee, her mouth starting to seriously salivate. "Really? Really really?" she almost squealed, her excitement getting the better of her.

Marco bowed to her formally and slowly moved backwards in the direction of the door. "Anything for you..." he said, opening the door and slipping out of the room, but not before adding, "... _girlfriend_."

Star turned bright red as Marco left the room. She made sure he was well out of earshot before letting out yet another squeal. She grinned to herself, utterly lovestruck.

"I'm his girlfriend," she said to herself mirthfully, and was about to follow Marco's footsteps out of the room until she heard an abrupt slam behind her. Star whizzed around and raised her wand defensively. She saw that her magical book of spells was now on the floor and open, with a certain miniscule blue figure sitting cross-legged on the pages.

"So, did I miss something, or…?"

Star breathed out heavily, a sense of relief washing over her. She lowered her wand. "Oh, hey Glossaryck. You scared the heck out of me."

Glossaryck floated up from the book and began swimming in circles through the air, "Well, maybe it was just some more training to make you more aware of your surroundings."

Star raised her eyebrows, and the small blue man scratched his arm with his foot as he halted swimming. "Or not. You know, I'm not too sure myself."

The princess scoffed at this, "Oh, come on, Glossaryck. We both know that you know, like, everything."

"If that's the way you want to put it," he said idly, now examining his fingernails for dirt. "So what was with the high pitched squeal? Stub your toe or something?"

Star shook her head, still clasping her wand in her hand. Her smile returned. "Nah. Actually, it was because of something _good_."

"Oh do tell. You know I live for good news." Glossaryck said, resuming his air swimming, this time floating up to Star.

"Well," Star began excitedly, as her mentor swam circles around her. "Marco just asked me to be his _girlfriend_! And I said yes!"

The girl hopped up and down slightly, her giddy joyfulness taking hold yet again. Glossaryck slowed down and eventually stopped swimming. He eyed Star, a curious look on his face. "Really, now?"

"Yep!" the princess answered excitedly, in a world of her own. "We even kissed just earlier at the Ball of the Butterfly. We are, like, totally a thing now! Isn't that cool?"

Star was caught up in her own little fairytale, sighing dreamily at the prospect of an actual relationship with Marco. She laughed lightly to herself. _Who would have thought it? Me and Marco?_ It was definitely strange, but a good kind of strange. A sort of strange that was both exhilarating and heartwarming. This was something Star had wanted for a long time without even realising it.

Glossaryck looked at Star intently. His eyes then shifted to the wand she was holding, and then back to Star again. He hummed. "Interesting…" he mumbled.

"You bet it is!" grinned Star, not really paying attention to Glossaryck, still swept up in the events of the evening. "Well, I better go check on my _boyfriend_." Star couldn't help but giggle sweetly at that word. "He's making nachos!"

Star pointed her wand to the light in her room. " _Light Removing Sunshine Spell!"_ A blast of magic hit the light dangling in Star's room, which caused the glow to slowly die out. Soon the room was left in moderate darkness. Glossaryck watched this closely all the while.

Star threw her wand onto her bed, which bounced lightly before becoming stationary. "See you later, Glossaryck!" she said chirpily as she skipped merrily out of her room, slamming the door absentmindedly on her way out.

As the girl left, Glossaryck's eyelids narrowed slightly. "Hmmm…" he pondered, rubbing his beard with his finger. "Something feels … off."

From the periphery of his vision, something caught the blue man's eyes. He carefully turned around and saw that there was a faint glowing emitting from Star's bed.

"Well, what could that be?" Glossaryck said to himself as he floated over to the large bed, searching for the source of the glow. He stopped directly above the bed, and looked down at Star's wand.

Ever since the wand had been cleaved, Glossaryck had seen it glow before. Sometimes it would be pink, when Star was feeling any strong positive emotions, such as happiness or love. Other times it would glow green, when she was feeling negative feelings, such as anger or jealousy. While Star or anyone else had yet to deduce this, Glossaryck was no fool. He knew everything, as Star had put it.

But this was something that the blue man had never seen before. Eyes squinting, he stared down at the crystal of the cleaved wand. It was certainly glowing, but the colour it emitted was neither pink _nor_ green.

It was _purple_. A very _dark_ shade of purple.

"Oh," Glossaryck commented, almost casually, still staring at the glowing purple wand. Then his eyes slightly widened.

" _Oh no_."

* * *

 **Thank you so much to everyone for all the support for this story! Yes, I'm afraid 'The Ball of the Butterfly' is over. But don't worry too much, as the story will continue soon enough in it's sequel,** ' _ **The Corruption of Magic**_ ' _ **! Keep your eyes peeled! :)**_


	11. SEQUEL UPDATE

**Hello everyone, just a quick notice to let you all know that the sequel to this story, 'The Corruption of Magic', has now begun! If you are interested in reading the continuation of this story, then please go and check it out! Many thanks! :)**


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